Sering dikatakan bahwa mentimun acar pertama kali dikembangkan untuk para pekerja yang membangun Tembok Besar China,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Qa9EDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA544&lpg=PA544&dq=pickled+cucumbers+invented+for+great+wall+of+china&source=bl&ots=Dr0h4UUjCH&sig=JaUe4cnw7jGjQLlEYujvACd9F7Y&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjmo8O5nc3bAhUiDJoKHcWrATEQ6AEIbDAM#v=onepage&q=pickled%20cucumbers%20invented%20for%20great%20wall%20of%20china&f=false|title=Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation|last=Brown|first=Amy Christine|date=2018-01-01|publisher=Cengage Learning|isbn=9781337557566|language=en}}</ref> meskipun hipotesis lain adalah bahwa mereka pertama kali dibuat di Lembah Tigris di Mesopotamia, menggunakan mentimun yang berasal dari India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-pickles/|title=History in a Jar: Story of Pickles {{!}} The History Kitchen {{!}} PBS Food|date=2014-09-03|work=PBS Food|access-date=2018-06-12|language=en-US}}</ref>
