Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe (Sunomono) - Sweet & Tangy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Tsukemono and sunomono? ›

Sunomono refers to specifically quick pickled cucumbers. Therefore, sunomono is a type of tsukemono.

The Japanese cucumber has several advantages over common cucumbers. It is slender, thin-skinned, void of developed seeds, never bitter and entirely edible. The average harvested length is about four inches, while the cucumber is still young. Its skin is forest green and smooth with longitudinal grooves.

What is Sunomono? Breaking down the word Sunomono, Su means vinegar and Mono means thing, so Sunomono would mean vinegar thing. This just typically means a dish is vinegar based.

Japanese cucumbers are mild and crunchy, with an unsweet melon-like flavor. The skins can also be eaten, although you could peel them in alternating green stripes for aesthetics.

Japanese cucumbers can grow quite long, commonly being picked when they are at least 12 inches. Like other longer varieties, they are thin skinned and have minimal seeds. They are of the sweetest and most flavorful cucumbers.

Japanese pickles (漬物, tsukemono) are an important part of the Japanese diet, served with practically every traditional meal alongside rice and miso soup. They are valued for their unique flavors and commonly used as a garnish, relish, condiment, palate cleanser or digestive.

Striped Armenian (aka Painted Serpent)

Striped Armenian is one of the sweetest cucumbers. It has small seeds and thin skin.

Usually, cucurbitacin stays in the stem and leaves, but it can work its way into the fruit, causing bitter cucumbers. Cucumbers tend to grow bitter when the plant is under stress from inconsistent water, fluctuating temperatures or poor soil. The higher the level of the compound, the more bitter the fruit.

The texture of the seeds is minimal, so Japanese Cucumbers are considered seedless. It's also on the drier side compared to other cucumbers that can be very watery. This cucumber is used in a wide variety of delicious Japanese dishes and it's usually eaten raw.

Buta means "pig" or "pork", and don is short for donburi, the Japanese word for "bowl". Butadon originated from the city of Obihiro, Japan.

When should I eat sunomono? ›

"This light, refreshing salad is a great start to any Japanese meal. I enjoy this fresh salad as a starter to a sushi dinner or alone for a light lunch. This is also a basic recipe to prepare."

Buta Bara (Pork Belly)

Probably one of the most popular kinds of yakiton is buta bara, or pork belly—the same cut of meat used to make bacon, but unsmoked.

Cucumbers contain an ingredient called cucurbitacin, which can lead to indigestion in some people who have underlying health and digestive issues. In some cases, eating excessive cucumber can lead to bloating, indigestion and discomfort.

Cucumbers - rolling in salt

Doing so will remove the stipples (bumps) and refresh both the color and flavor. This preparation method is called “itazuri” in Japanese. The recommended amount of salt for 1 cucumber is about 1/2 to 1 tsp. After performing itazuri, quickly rinse off the cucumber and then cut up.

Crunchy with an appetizingly sour & sweet-tart flavor, tsukemono are the Japanese pickles served alongside rice and miso soup. Find out more about the different types of tsukemono you may encounter in a Japanese meal.

f*ckujinzuke, commonly eaten with Japanese curry, is usually made of finely chopped daikon, eggplant, lotus root, and cucumber pickled in a soy sauce base. Shibazuke is bright purple made of cucumber, eggplant, and aka shiso (red perilla leaves) pickled in umezu (Japanese plum vinegar).

Since most of raw vegetables used for tsukemono are cruciferous vegetables, including daikon（radish),hakusai（chinese radish ）, nozawana, takana, and turnips, intake of tsukemono is also expected to help maintaining health functionality.