Name: Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad - Suo Yi Cucumber
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 Persian Cucumber or 1 Japanese (or English Cucumber); 3 garlic cloves (minced); 2 dried chili pepper (cut into sections (or you can choose to use pepper flakes)); 2 tbsp. hot oil (heat until smoky); ! Sauce; 2 tbsp. black vinegar; 1 tbsp. light soy sauce; 1 tsp. sugar; 1 tsp. sesame oil

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Spicy Asian cucumber salad with a super lovely cutting skill. This salad goes viral on social media like Instagram and TikTok. With this cutting skill, the cucumber looks like a rain cape. Let’s go and make this interesting cucumber salad at home.

The Chinse name for this dish is 蓑衣黄瓜. The name is derived from the overlayered cucumber, looking similar to the real rain cape made with straw. It is famous for its cutting technique. It looks complex but super simple with a pair of chopsticks.

This cucumber is slightly pickled to remove the original water content thus making it even crisper. I used to love to make smashed cucumber salad. But this is my new addiction. If you are a returning visitor, I have introduced another Chinese cucumber salad with the smashing technique. This one has a denser flavor due to the pickling process.

Ingredients

Garlic – Provides aroma and savory flavor that penetrates the cucumbers
Chili flakes or dried chili peppers – Brings a hint of spicy heat and red chili flavor. The type I use is not hot. So I use 1 tablespoon for a better look. If your chili flakes are quite hot, use the amount based on personal preference.
Soy sauce – Adds a salty, umami richness that enhances other flavors.
Vinegar – Brightens with acidity to balance the rich soy sauce.
Sugar – A touch of sugar balances out acidity and enhances natural sweetness.
Sesame oil – Imparts nutty aroma and flavor.
Hot oil – Unlocks aromas of other ingredients to infuse cucumbers. Remember to drizzle the hot oil on top of the chili pepper or chili flakes (any type you choose) and minced garlic for the best result.

Instructions

How to cut the cucumber

The cucumber must be rinsed thoroughly because we will keep the skins. If you don’t want to eat the skin, you can peel them.

Place a pair of chopsticks on both sides of the cucumber to hold it in place. Remove the two ends.
Gently pinch the chopsticks with the left thumb and middle finger, while the index finger presses the cucumber. Hold the knife perpendicular to the chopsticks, then start slicing from one end of the cucumber to the other, stopping when you reach the bottom chopstick. You may need to adjust to avoid cutting all the way through, since the ends of cucumber may be narrower.
Flip the cucumber so the cut side is now facing down. Clip it again with the chopsticks, this time, hold the knife angled 45 degrees to the chopstick. Slice from one end to another. Maintain the same thickness as you slice from one end to the other.

You can stretch the cucumber three times longer than the original length. It is a funny process.

Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad | chinasichuanfood.com

Step 2 – Salt the cucumbers

Place the shredded cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes. This salt treatment will draw out excess moisture.

Gently squeeze the cucumber to remove the extra liquid.

Step 3 – Make the dressing

Combine the minced garlic, chili flakes, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl.

Step 4- Pour the Hot Oil to Aroma the Flavor

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a small pan or wok until smoky hot. Carefully pour the hot oil over the garlic and dried chili pepper. The hot oil will help release the aromas of the seasoning mix.

Step 5 – Add the sauce

Add the mixed sauce to the serving plate. You can cut the cucumber into smaller sections for better serving or leave it as fun to break when eating.