Native to the Indian subcontinent, cucumbers reached China via ancient trade routes. Migrants carried the cucumber to other Southeast Asian countries and it eventually reached Malaysia. Cucumber soup is a part of the cuisine in various countries like Poland, Lithuania, China and Malaysia. Old cucumbers are cucumbers that are left to harden and mature on the vine. The flesh of old cucumbers is firm and thick, and they are suited for boiling, simmering and stir-frying. To make old cucumber soup, the skin is left intact to stop the flesh from turning mushy and pieces of the cucumber are simmered on a low flame, with vegetables and meat, for a long time. Old cucumbers are mainly consumed during the summer because of their cooling properties. Besides having cooling properties, old cucumbers are also a well known home remedy for detoxifying the digestive tract.
