Chinese Cucumber (Huang Gua)
叩き割ってタレを絡める！中国の食卓の絶対的オアシス
Description
Same as JP cucumbers, but mainstream Chinese varieties are slightly thicker, with firmer surface warts (spikes), more watery, and slightly harder skin. Besides gnawing raw, in Chinese cooking, it's overwhelmingly used by 'smashing with a knife to soak up sauce' (Pai Huang Gua) or 'cooking as a stir-fry ingredient'.
Classification: Everyone, Ingredient, Vegetable, Huang Gua, Cucumber, Liangban, Stir-fry, Crunchy, Summer Staple
Shops selling Chinese Cucumber (Huang Gua)
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The How to use section below is a general reference, not instructions from the listed shops.
How to use
Ingredients
- Cucumber(Fresh)
Instructions
- [Typical Uses]
- [Pai Huang Gua (Smashed Cucumber with Garlic)]: Smash cucumbers violently with the flat of a knife, toss with massive grated garlic, black vinegar, sesame oil, and salt (the absolute king of summer appetizers nationwide).
- [Mu Shu Rou / Kung Pao Chicken Ingredient]: Cook diced cucumbers as a 'stir-fry' ingredient with pork/chicken.
Learn more Substitutes, pairings, tips
Key spices
Juicy gourd sweetness、and irregular 'crunch、smash' textures born from smashing with a knife
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
(Use JP cucumbers)
Pairing
Grated Garlic / Black Vinegar / Chicken or Pork (Stir-fry)
Trivia
Japanese resist 'stir-frying cucumbers', but dicing it into Kung Pao Chicken provides a 'crisp' texture and watery oasis between meat, proving it a highly logical ingredient.
Eating tips & etiquette
The absolute Chinese law for eating delicious cucumbers is 'DO NOT cut neatly with a knife'. Smashing it with a knife flat (or rolling pin) crumbles the cross-section irregularly, letting black vinegar/garlic sauce soak in to the limit.
Allergen
None