Cucumbers Taste Better When They're Smashed

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When I first moved to Beijing almost ten years ago, I met so many girls who'd say things like "I don't know how to cook" like it was a badge of honor. To be perfectly fair, I didn't know how to cook either when I first came here, but getting my own apartment quickly changed that.

When restaurants in Beijing were notified that they could no longer receive guests, it didn't really dampen the frequency of lunch and dinner parties with my friends. Instead of going out to a restaurant, we simply gathered over drinks and home-cooked meals.

Getting together in this way actually gave me a better insight into the real lives of my friends than before, and during the past two weeks I have been introduced to so many local dishes and tasted the delicious results of the hidden culinary talents of multiple friends.

I know life isn't easy right now for anyone living in Beijing, but why not make the most of our time at home and learn a few new dishes?

Chinese cuisine isn't known for its salads. Locals tend to like their vegetables cooked. But the smashed cucumber salad is one of those perfect summer snacks that adds a bit of freshness to a meal or serves as the perfect drinking snack.

Ingredients

1

Small pinch of salt, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon

2

3 cloves garlic, grated or zested

3

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

4

2 tablespoons soy sauce

5

2 tablespoons chili oil with spices

6

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

7

2 teaspoons sesame oil

8

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

You can cut your cucumbers, but having witnessed multiple arguments over the years about this dish, apparently it tastes better if you just smash the cucumbers with the flat side of your cleaver.

With this salad, it's all about the dressing. Once you've smashed your cucumbers, take the ingredients for the dressing and mix it all together before drizzling the dressing generously over your smashed cucumbers.

Enjoy!

Images: TheD

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