West Indian Gherkin

The West Indian gherkin (Cucumis anguria), also called the bur cucumber, burr gherkin or — in Brazil — maxixe, is a small, egg-shaped gourd covered in soft, fleshy spines, borne on a slender climbing vine of the same genus as the cucumber. Harvested young and green, it is crisp, watery and mildly cucumber-like when raw, prized above all for pickling and, across the Caribbean and northeastern Brazil, simmered whole or halved into hearty stews. Despite the name and resemblance, it is a distinct species from the small pickling cultivars of the common cucumber that are also sold as "gherkins."