Pai Huang Gua (Smashed Cucumber Salad)
The secret to deliciousness is to break it with a knife! Cucumber covered with garlic
Description
'Pai' means to smash. Cucumbers violently smashed with the flat of a cleaver, allowing the jagged cracks to absorb massive amounts of minced garlic, black vinegar, and sesame oil.
Restaurants serving Pai Huang Gua (Smashed Cucumber Salad)
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The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Garlic(massive amounts)
- Black vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- Sugar
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Place a fresh, spiky cucumber on a cutting board and violently 'SMASH' it from above using the flat side of a heavy Chinese cleaver. (Smashing creates jagged cracks, the absolute requirement for the sauce to penetrate).
- Tear the shattered cucumber into bite-sized chunks by hand.
- Finely mince 3-
- cloves of raw garlic.
- In a bowl with black vinegar, sesame oil, salt, sugar, and chili oil, aggressively toss the cucumbers so the garlic and dressing forcefully wedge into the smashed crevices. Serve immediately for maximum crunch.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Intense raw garlic heat/aroma、Black vinegar
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Can be perfectly made with Japanese cucumbers)
Pairing
Lamb Skewers / Baijiu
Trivia
[Trivia] The cheapest and fastest menu item found in literally every Chinese restaurant. 'Pai Huang Gua for now!' is the starting signal for any Chinese banquet.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Never slice it cleanly. The true deliciousness is only unlocked when the garlic sauce clings to the 'irregular jagged edges' created by smashing.
Allergen
Sesame