Tangy Loopy Cukes

I am obsessed with these loopy cucumber cuts that I first saw from Okonomi Kitchen! They yield such a great bite. I married it with one of my go-to tangy Chinese salad dressings and it was *chef’s kiss*.

Definitely recommend 1) using disposable chopsticks or a designated pair of chopsticks that you don’t love so you don’t ruin your nice pairs and 2) marinating these in a bag, like a resusable stasher bag, so that the flavor really seeps in through all the crevices.

You’ll need:

• 4 Persian cucumbers
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar (more to taste)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced 
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Optional: toasted sesame seeds, red de-seeded chilis
• A pair of chopsticks, I recommend disposable takeout ones

To make:

1. Place chopsticks on each side of the cucumbers and make close diagonal cuts. I cut deep enough so that my knife was -just- about to graze the chopsticks (I cut the chopstick a few times, oops, hence the disposable chopstick reco)
2. Flip the cucumber over and slice diagonally again, going the same direction. Then cut into bite-sized pieces
3. Let cucumbers sit for 5 minutes in a bowl of salted water
4. Mix together the marinade
5. Rinse cucumbers in water and squeeze out excess water
6. Mix marinade with cucumbers in a bag and let marinade for 30 minutes, ideally longer! The longer it sits, the more flavor seeps in
7. Top with sesame seeds and chilis