Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s2.t5: Cucumber
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s2.t5
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Cucumber
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Trapusa is a species of cucurbitaceous plant, also known as teasel gourd, cucumber or trichosanthes cucumeroides. Its scientific name in Latin is *Cucumis sativus*. Its country of origin is India. The history of the cultivation of trapusa is very ancient, with many varieties. It could be divided, in light of its ecological features into big trapusa, small trapusa, fruit trapusa, quadri-leaf trapusa and hothouse trapusa. Since its introduction to different regions of China, it has become a common vegetable on the household menu.
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It is said that Zhang Qian, who was sent by the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty on a diplomatic mission to the Western Regions, brought back to central China the seeds of this plant. Hence, it was called the gourd from Hu, referring to the non-Han people inhabiting that region in ancient China. Later, it was renamed cucumber (*huanggua*). There are two versions about its renaming. In the first version, the 拾遗本草 (*Shiyi bencao*) compiled by Chen Cangqi pointed out, “To avoid the taboo of Shi Le, the northerners changed its name to cucumber, and this name has persisted to the present day.” Because Shi Le, king of the later Zhao kingdom belonged to the Hu nationality, he did not want to hear this reference to ‘Hu’ in connection with this plant. The second version is as follows. It is recorded in the *Gleaners’ Record*, composed by Du Bao of the Tang dynasty, alternately titled the *Gleaners Record during the reign period of Daye*, that emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty had named *huchuang* 胡床 as *jiaochuang* 交床. The emperor also renamed
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*Cucumber*
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*hugua* as the "white dew" cucumber (*bailu huang gua*), and eggplant as the purple gourd from the Kunlun (mountains).” The written record titled *Zhen guan zheng yao*, compiled by Wujing of the Tang dynasty confirms that during the fourth year of the Daye reign period of the Sui dynasty emperor Yang, this change in name was brought into effect.
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In the Sanskrit version of the *Thousand Character Classic* compiled by Yijing of the Tang Dynasty, cucumber was transliterated as duoluobusuo and its Sanskrit equivalent is ‘*trapusa*’. In the Chinese version of the Buddhist *Sutras*, we find the same translation of the name. In the work, *Biography of Sakyamuni Buddha*, a trader’s name was given as Dilifusuo with the added note, “Hu gourd as pronounced by people in the Sui Dynasty.” The monk Yijing translated it as cucumber in the fifth volume of the Buddhist classic, *Legend of a Poor Monk*. From the Sanskrit version of *Legend of a Poor Monk*, we know that the Sanskrit equivalents of this term are trapusā or trapuùā while Hu gourd and cucumber are just its colloquial versions. Watermelon is called tarbuza by Indians today which originated from the Persian language and bears a clear resemblance to trapusa.
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(*Chen Ming*)