In China, this dish is often prepared with chunks of cucumber that are smashed with a meat cleaver. I decided to slice the cucumbers instead because I like eating them as delicate slivers. Many recipes I’ve seen also use Chinkiang (or Zhenjiang, 鎮江) vinegar, which you can find in Chinese supermarkets. I used rice vinegar here instead because it is much easier to source. The standard rice vinegar you find at supermarkets won’t have the same malty notes as Chinkiang vinegar, but it still works well in this recipe. In terms of the variety of cucumber, I used Persian cucumbers because they’re thin-skinned, and they don’t have tough seeds like conventional cucumbers. English cucumbers are great substitutes if Persian cucumbers are difficult to find. Because English cucumbers are longer and thicker than Persian cucumbers, you’ll probably need only one of them. Served this cucumber salad with my coconut rice, egg fried rice, or teriyaki noodle stir fry!
