Smashed Cucumber Salad
Polypoli is infinitely edible! Taiwanese-style cucumber with garlic and sesame oil
Description
A refreshing cold dish to order first at Taiwanese eateries, where cucumbers smashed with a knife are tossed with garlic, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and a little vinegar.
Restaurants serving Smashed Cucumber Salad
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Sesame oil
- Sugar
- White vinegar(or Rice vinegar)
- Red chili
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- Wash fresh cucumbers (Xiao Huanggua), cut off ends.
- The biggest point: strongly smash the cucumbers from above using the flat side of a cleaver (or rolling pin) (smashing instead of cutting makes rough cross-sections, helping flavor soak in).
- Tear the smashed cucumbers into bite-sized lengths by hand (or cut).
- Put in a bowl, sprinkle salt, massage lightly, rest
- mins, and discard the drawn-out excess water.
- Add plenty of 'grated garlic (or minced)', sesame oil, sugar, and a little 'white vinegar (or rice vinegar)', tossing everything well. Optionally add sliced raw red chili.
- Chill in the fridge for at least
- mins to let flavors completely meld before serving.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Garlic and Sesame oil aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese cucumber
Pairing
Beef Noodles、Xiaolongbao、and all main dishes
Trivia
[For Everyone] A staple in Japanese Chinese restaurants too, but the Taiwanese version is characterized by a sweet/sour taste firmly backed by 'sugar'. Sesame oil mildly wraps the intense garlic punch, creating a magical vegetable dish you can literally eat 'infinitely'.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Order this before main dishes (Beef Noodles, Lu Rou Fan) arrive, crunching on it while drinking beer to warm up your stomach—the Taiwanese way!
Allergen
Sesame