The First Tangmai (Cucumber) Festival 2018 will be held on Saturday at the YPA Hall at Lamka in Churachandpur of Manipur to showcase the different varieties of cucumbers that are grown in the State.
A release stated that the festival will be organized by Young Paite Association (YPA), general headquarters, Lamka, Churachandpur.
Cucumber (Cucumissativus) or less formally Cuke, has a very old history and is widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, it informed.
It further stated that cucumber originated in India and it appeared in ancient India since the past 4,000 years ago and was later spread to other countries like Greece, Rome, Europe, New World, China, etc.
Cucumber has become the fourth most widely cultivated vegetable in the world, the release continued.
The worldwide cucumber production as in 2010 was 57.5 million tons.
Cucumbers have many health benefits, it further said while adding it is a good source of B vitamins, rehydrate body and replenish daily vitamins, good for skin and hair health, help in fighting cancers, help in relieving bad breath, aid in hangover cure, aid in weight loss and digestion, aid in diabetes cure, reduce cholesterol and controls blood pressure, promote joint health, relieve gout and arthritis pain.
The history of the tribals in Manipur cannot be separated from cucumber, the release also stated.
Since time immemorial, cucumber had been grown and eaten by the people of Manipur and it still remains one of the most favourite cuisines.
Although there are varieties of cucumber, either wild or cultivated, most of the cucumbers that are grown in the hilly areas of Manipur are soft and contains about ninety percent water, the release informed.
The First Tangmai Festival 2018 will be attended by State Agriculture, Veterinary and Animal Husbandary Minister, V Hangkhanlian and MLA, chairman, MTDC, Vungzagin Valte, along with many other dignitaries and leaders of several civil societies in Manipur, it added.
