The odd practice has been highlighted on social media and has left many people baffled by the reason behind it
A doctor has explained the benefits of ‘milking’ cucumbers, claiming it makes them ‘taste better’. It comes as many videos circulating online show people discovering their favourite healthy snack can taste ‘less bitter’ thanks to the technique.
One video shows a man rubbing two cucumber pieces together to release its ‘bitter foam’. It has been said that doing this could remove any kind of bitter taste – but what’s the point and why does it happen?
Dr Karan Rajan, an NHS surgeon with a large TikTok following, spoke about the science behind this odd act. He broke down what you’re actually seeing when you start ‘milking’ cucumbers.
He explained: “Cucumbers are basically green water balloons. They’re over 95% water but also have a smattering of nutrients and plant chemicals.
“One of these happens to be a bitter chemical called cucurbitacin and it is something which is found in the entire gourd family.” This includes zucchinis, pumpkins and melons.
The doctor went on to share that these bitter compounds are actually produced by the plant as a self defence mechanism. He said: “When ‘wounded’, this bitter white froth is released to prevent animals from eating it.”
The flavour shouldn’t put people off the benefits of eating cucumber though, he pointed out. As well as being a powerfully hydrating food, cucumbers are packed with both anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. As a low calorie source of food, they can be great in maintain a healthy weight too.
Dr Rajan added: “Most of these defence chemicals are found in the skin of the cucumber, just underneath and towards the end.” He said that by rubbing cucumber together, it’s not going to make much or any difference to the flavour profile as the flesh doesn’t really have that bitterness.
He went on: “If you really hate bitter flavours, you can peel off the dark green skin but, you’ll also lose a lot of the vegetables key nutrients.”
