The Armenian cucumber, Cucumis melo var. flexuosus, is a type of long, slender fruit which tastes like a cucumber and looks somewhat like a cucumber inside. It is actually a variety of muskmelon (C. melo), a species closely related to the cucumber (C. sativus). It is also known as the yard-long cucumber, snake cucumber, snake melon,tharr in Pakistan, kakri in India, atta in Egypt, mekti in Lebanon, feggous or fakkous in Morocco, acur in Turkey, φακούσι (fakoosi) in Cyprus and uri in Japan. It should not be confused with the snake gourds (Trichosanthes spp.). The skin is very thin, light green, and bumpless. It has no bitterness and the fruit is almost always used without peeling.
The Armenian cucumber grows approximately 30 to 36 inches long. It grows equally well on the ground or on a trellis. Armenian cucumber plants prefer to grow in full sun for most of the day. The fruit is most flavorful when it is 12-15 inches long. Pickled Armenian cucumber is sold in Middle Eastern markets as "Pickled Wild Cucumber".
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