Lecture and tasting: "Cucumber as vegetable of the year".

Lecture, tasting and garden tour.

Event in cooperation with the Association for the Preservation of Crop Diversity.

What fruit is this? It is related to pumpkins and melons, has been cultivated for over 5,000 years, is basically eaten unripe and sometimes placed on the face in slices?
On Sunday, August 18, for 2.5 hours we will be all about cucumbers. They are the most water-rich and low-calorie vegetables par excellence and versatile: they taste great boiled, fried or pickled. Their economic importance is immense: the fruits can be found on markets and supermarket shelves worldwide. In this country, we are mostly familiar with the salad or snake cucumbers grown under glass, the somewhat thicker mustard or peeled cucumbers for greenhouse and outdoor cultivation, and the small mini cucumbers. We have cucumber growers to thank for the fact that most cucumbers are almost free of bitterness. However, the dreaded appearance of bitter ends can still occur in older varieties in unfavorable weather. Cucumber breeding is still carried out in Germany today with good success - but many old varieties have disappeared. Do you still know the ˈBeste von Allenˈ, the ˈKönigsdorfer Unermüdlicheˈ or the `ˈBerliner Aalˈ?

VEN would like to contribute to the preservation and dissemination of little-known wild species as well as cultivated varieties with special characteristics and lauds the cucumber as the Vegetable of the Years 2019/20. As every year, the Tropical Greenhouse will host a themed afternoon on the occasion of the annual vegetable. We cordially invite you to learn many new things about the large group of cucumbers and their wild relatives on Sunday, August 18, 2019. In addition to exciting lectures Alexander Artmann "Small cultural history of the cucumber and its relatives" and by Michael Stork "A foray through the variety of cucumbers", there will be a practical tour in the garden with Cathrin Merx. You will learn how to grow cucumbers yourself, which varieties are well suited for this, how to avoid the "bitter end" and how to obtain seeds. In a small tasting session, we will also introduce you to different types and varieties of cucumbers in culinary terms.
Whether you are a health-conscious cucumber lover or an enthusiastic allotment gardener: get inspiration for your own beds and your kitchen!

Pre-registration by Monday, August 12, 2019 at: tropengewaechshaus[at]uni-kassel[dot]de  or  05542-981231. Admission 5 euros.