Make 3 of the Best Japanese Cucumber Appetizers – Perfect Recipe Collections for Your Drinks!

Ingredients

• 3 cloves Garlic (crushed for Garlic Cucumber)
• 9 Cucumber (medium Japanese cucumbers, stems removed, 3 for each variation)
• 1 tablespoon Chicken Stock Granules (for Garlic Cucumber base flavor)
• 4 pinches Salt (2 pinches for Garlic Cucumber, 2 pinches for Spicy Cucumber (water extraction))
• 3-4 pinches Black Pepper (for Garlic Cucumber)
• 2.5 tablespoons Sesame Oil (1 tbsp for Garlic Cucumber, 1.5 tsp for Spicy Cucumber, 0.5 tbsp for Infinite Cucumber)
• 4 tablespoons Water (for Garlic Cucumber (adjustable to 5 tbsp for milder taste))
• 5.5 teaspoons Soy Sauce (1.5 tsp for Spicy Cucumber, 4 tbsp (12 tsp) for Infinite Cucumber – total 5.5 tsp used in recipe)
• 1.5 teaspoons Doubanjiang (Spicy Bean Paste) (for Spicy Cucumber)
• 5.5 teaspoons Sugar (1.5 tsp for Spicy Cucumber, optional 4 tsp for Infinite Cucumber)
• 3.5 teaspoons Vinegar (1.5 tsp for Spicy Cucumber, 2 tsp for Infinite Cucumber)
• 2 stalks Green Onion (finely chopped for Infinite Cucumber)
• 2 teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper (for Infinite Cucumber)
• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce (for Infinite Cucumber)
• 50 cc Water (for Infinite Cucumber) (approximately 3.3 tbsp)

Instructions

1. Prepare Garlic Cucumber – chopping

   Crush 3 garlic cloves with the side of a knife, then roughly chop 3 cucumbers into bite‑size pieces, removing the stems first.

   Time: PT10M

2. Season Garlic Cucumber

   In a large bowl combine the cucumber pieces, crushed garlic, 1 Tbsp chicken stock granules, 2 pinches salt, 3‑4 pinches black pepper, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 4 Tbsp water. Mix thoroughly.

   Time: PT5M

3. Marinate Garlic Cucumber

   Transfer the seasoned cucumber to an airtight container, seal tightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

   Time: PT3H

   Temperature: 4°C

4. Prepare Spicy Cucumber – accordion cut

   Place two chopsticks on each side of a cucumber and cut at 0.5 cm intervals without cutting through, creating an accordion pattern. Repeat on the back side with diagonal cuts, then flip and repeat for all three cucumbers. Separate into 5 cm bite‑size pieces.

   Time: PT12M

5. Draw out moisture from Spicy Cucumber

   Place the cut cucumbers in a colander, sprinkle 2 pinches of salt, gently massage, then press each piece by hand for 2‑3 minutes to release excess water.

   Time: PT5M

6. Season Spicy Cucumber

   In a large bowl combine the drained cucumbers with 1.5 tsp soy sauce, 1.5 tsp sesame oil, 1.5 tsp doubanjiang, 1.5 tsp sugar, and 1.5 tsp vinegar. Mix evenly.

   Time: PT4M

7. Marinate Spicy Cucumber

   Transfer to an airtight container, seal, and refrigerate for 2‑3 hours.

   Time: PT3H

   Temperature: 4°C

8. Prepare Infinite Cucumber – chopping

   Cut the remaining 3 cucumbers into irregular chunks. Finely chop 2 stalks of green onion using diagonal cuts on both sides. Grate 1 garlic clove.

   Time: PT10M

9. Season Infinite Cucumber

   In a large bowl combine cucumbers, green onion, grated garlic, 2 tsp crushed red pepper, 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp vinegar, 0.5 Tbsp sesame oil, 50 cc water, and optionally 4 tsp sugar. Mix thoroughly.

   Time: PT5M

10. Marinate Infinite Cucumber

    Transfer the mixture to an airtight container, seal, and refrigerate for 2‑3 hours.

    Time: PT3H

    Temperature: 4°C

11. Serve

    After marination, arrange each cucumber snack on separate plates. Sprinkle extra black pepper on Garlic Cucumber if desired, and drizzle any remaining sauce over Infinite Cucumber before serving.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

85

Protein

2 g

Carbohydrates

10 g

Fat

4 g

Fiber

1 g