Cucumbers

The Romans spread the cucumber through the empire; the plant thrived in Mediterranean areas. Seeds have been found at Roman sites in Britain, although archaeologists debate whether cucumbers were a luxury import or were grown at villas of the rich during classical times, as they would have required fancy cold frames or other agricultural techniques to flourish in the chilly British climate. By the sixteenth century, cucumbers were a fad foodstuff in England: aristocrats built cold frames and hothouses, developing what would become heirloom varieties from experiments in forcing stock.