In perfect step with Shavuoth, the Harvest Festival, we harvested the maiden fakus, aka “Arabic cucumber” crop over the past few weeks. After previous years when we’d get a barrage of comments like, “This week I received two portions of zucchini and no cucumbers,” we’ve now decided to place the fakus directly in the cucumber bag. This way, it’s easier to spot those who are in the know, and to introduce the fakus to those who are not yet acquainted.
So, for those who could not identify the New Guy in the Bag, here’s a handy key to distinguish between a fakus and a zucchini, which I learned from our long-time client Tzipi of Jerusalem: The fakus stem resembles that of a cucumber, not a zucchini! If you received a light-green elongated vegetable that kind-of-resembles-zucchini-but-kind-of-doesn’t, check out its stem (the part where it attaches to the plant). If it is wide and star-shaped like a zucchini, well… it’s a zucchini. If it’s thin and willowy like a cucumber, then say hi to our friend the fakus.
Here, ladies and gentlemen, is The Fakus in all its glory: