Chinese Cucumber Salad

According to Chinese records, cucumber was introduced to China around 100 B.C. (during the Han Dynasty) from countries to the west by way of what later became known as the Silk Route, later taken by Marco Polo. For six to seven hundred years, cucumber bore the name hu gua, meaning “foreign melon”, but a later name, huang gua, meaning “yellow melon” is now more commonly used. People across China make a variation of cucumber salad as it's an esay and delicious appetizer to meals.

Ingredients You Need:

Note: The amount of each ingredient can be adjusted to your liking!

Mini cucumbers (avoid cucumbers with seeds)

Salt (make cucumber crunchier)

For the dressing:

Regular soysauce

Rice vinegar

Chili Oil

Sugar

Sesame Oil

Sesame Seeds

Green Onions

For the Experts ~

Short on time? Thinly slice the cucumbers and skip the spiral!

Use chopsticks to make fun spiral cucumbers: Use a pair of chopsticks that you don’t mind slightly nicking up, like takeaway chopsticks. Make sure to slice the cucumbers on an angle or you won't get the spiral effect.

Rinse salted cucumbers well! Because we’re adding more sodium, it’s super important to rinse off the salt from the cucumbers after they have been sitting in it. This step is crucial, or you will have very salty tasting cucumbers.

Combine the sauce before adding cucumbers.

For more flavor, let the cucumbers marinate for another 10 minutes in the sauce in the fridge before enjoying.

Instructions

First on a cutting board, place cucumber between two chopsticks that you don’t mind nicking up (like disposable takeout chopsticks).

Then make thin diagonal slices on the top on angle. Flip the cucumber over and do the same on the other side. Do not cut them in on a straight angle or the spiral will not work.

Then cut cucumber into halves.

Next sprinkle salt over cucumbers and gently massage into them.

Let cucumbers sit in the salt for 5 minutes at room temperature to remove excess moisture (no more than 10 minutes or they will break down).

Rinse with cold water at least 3-4 times to completely remove the salt.

Strain excess water and set aside.

Then in a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.

Finally pour the dressing over cucumbers and gently mix.

Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is taken from Christie at Home

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