Delicious Made Simple - Same Day Cold Horned Cucumber Salad

One horned cucumber (I honestly don't know its exact name; we call it horned cucumber here). It's also delicious when made into pickles, but the key is to eat it the same day it's prepared. Add a bit of chili oil and monosodium glutamate for a crunchy and aromatic side dish that pairs perfectly with rice.

Now, let's get to the point: cut the horned cucumber in half, then slice it thinly.

Next, juliens it into fine shreds as shown in the picture.

Add three tablespoons of salt to marinate for 1 hour, allowing the cucumber shreds to release moisture. This step is crucial for achieving the right texture.

Once marinated, squeeze out the excess water. If you’re not in a hurry to eat, you can leave them spread out on a plate to air dry a bit more. Dried cucumber shreds have a better chewy texture. If you enjoy a crisp bite, just remove excess moisture and mix in sugar, monosodium glutamate, chili powder, and ground Sichuan pepper.

The finished dish looks like this. I think it tastes quite similar to the pickled vegetable flavors sold at street stalls.