Based on experiments shared online, a simple method to make cucumbers taste surprisingly like watermelon is by adding sugar. The process involves combining sliced cucumber with sugar and allowing it to sit.
The Simple Cucumber to Watermelon Hack
The core concept, as demonstrated in some online content, is that when cucumber is paired with sugar, its flavour profile changes dramatically. The reference video snippet states, "And then eat it and then what does it taste. Like. Well it doesn't taste like cucumber anymore it tastes like watermelon." It concludes by confirming, "it does taste like watermelon."
This transformation seems to occur because cucumber and watermelon share many of the same aromatic compounds, such as nonadienal. While cucumbers contain more of the "green," grassy notes, adding sugar appears to suppress these notes and highlight the underlying sweet, fruity characteristics that are common to both vegetables/fruits.
Steps to Try the Hack
Here are the basic steps often suggested for this simple food hack:
- Prepare the cucumber: Peel and slice the cucumber into rounds or spears.
- Add Sugar: Sprinkle a generous amount of granulated sugar over the cucumber slices.
- Wait: Allow the sugared cucumber to sit for a short period, perhaps 10-20 minutes, to let the flavours meld and the sugar draw out some moisture.
- Taste: Try the sugared cucumber. According to the video reference, it should no longer taste like cucumber but rather resemble watermelon.
Why It Might Work
| Component | Key Flavor Compounds (Examples) | Impact of Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber | Nonadienal (fruity/melon), Cucurbitacin (bitter), various aldehydes (grassy/green) | May enhance nonadienal perception and mask grassy/bitter notes |
| Sugar | Sweetness | Overpowers less desirable cucumber notes, highlighting inherent sweetness and fruitiness |
| Watermelon | Nonadienal (fruity/melon), various sugars | Predominantly sweet and fruity |
By adding sugar, you are essentially amplifying the natural sweetness already present in the cucumber (though much lower than watermelon) and potentially making the shared aromatic compounds more prominent, while suppressing the typical "cucumber" flavour notes.
While it won't perfectly replicate the texture or full flavour complexity of a watermelon, this hack provides a surprising and interesting taste experience that many find remarkably similar.
