Last Updated on June 21, 2024
Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber is a perfect match with a bowl of Japanese rice. It’s very easy to make to the point that you would want to make it over and over!
Japanese Pickles
There are many types of Japanese pickles. Although, many traditional Japanese dishes are not vegan, most Japanese pickled vegetable are naturally vegan.
One of the most traditional Japanese pickles would be nukazuke which is pickled in fermented rice bran called nukadoko. While nukazuke takes a bit of time and effort to prepare, there are some quick pickled vegetables such as asazuke which literally means “quickly (lightly) pickled.”
This Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber recipe is gear towards the asazuke style that requires almost no time—15-minutes prepping and 30-minutes pickling!
Taste of Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber
Overall taste profile is:
- Briny
- Slightly sour
- Hint of sweetness
- Good amount of spiciness
- Nutty
It’s a perfect balance of all kinds of flavors which works very well with a bowl of Japanese rice!
Type of Cucumber
For the Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber recipe, use any seedless cucumber such as:
- English cucumber (European cucumber)
- Mini seedless cucumber
- Japanese cucumber called kyuri
You would want to make sure that the cucumber you use requires no peeling skins and removing seeds. I use mini seedless cucumber for this recipe, but I’ve also made one with English cucumber and Japanese cucumber (kyuri).
To make it taste more authentic, I’d highly recommend using Japanese cucumber which you could get from Suzuki Farm.
Tips for Cutting Cucumber
For the cucumber to pickle better, you would want to gently crush (or smash) the cucumber before pickling.
By doing that, the core of the cucumber is exposed more and as a result, it picks up the sauce better!
What’s in The Sauce
There are only a few ingredients to make the sauce and they’re pretty much what you may already have in your pantry.
- Soy sauce (or tamari)
- Rice Vinegar
- Cane sugar
- Ground toasted sesame seeds
- Japanese chili pepper powder
- Toasted sesame oil
Now you may say “you don’t have ground toasted sesame seeds” and “Japanese chili pepper powder.” No worries!
- Ground toasted sesame seeds ⇒ Toasted sesame seeds (as a whole)
- Japanese chili pepper powder ⇒ Cayenne pepper powder
But in my opinion, using ground toasted sesame seeds in the Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber makes a difference in the final taste. You could find one at a Japanese specialty store but you could easily do it at home.
How to Make Ground Toasted Sesame Seeds
You will need a tool to make ground toasted sesame seeds. Using Japanese mortar and pestle would be ideal but you could get a similar results by using regular mortar and pestle.
Japanese mortar and pestle is serrated which makes it easy to grind.
Ground toasted sesame seeds releases more aroma and stronger (more nutty) taste. Also, the texture of the sesame seeds coats the cucumber more evenly.
How Long to Pickle The Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber
I’d recommend pickling it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It’s one of those dishes that the longer it sits, the better it gets! It tastes even better the next day!
Storage
You can store the Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 2-3 days. After the 3rd day, you may notice loosing a flavor a bit or it may get watered down.
How to Make Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber (Step-by-Step)
Ingredients
1. Grind toasted sesame seeds (optional): Use Japanese mortar & pestle (or regular mortar & pestle.) Place toasted sesame seeds and gently grind until the sesame seeds are partially ground. Set it aside.
2. Gently crush the cucumber by pressing it with palms. 
Cut into chunks (about 3/4-inch.) Set it aside.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, cane sugar, ground toasted sesame seeds, and Japanese chili pepper powder. Mix well until well combined.
4. Add the cucumber to the bowl and toss them together until well coated with the sauce.
Then, add toasted sesame oil and give it a quick toss.
5. Keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes then serve.
Japanese Spicy Pickled Cucumber (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 8 oz seedless cucumber
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp cane sugar
- 1 tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds grinding is optional but highly recommended
- 1/8 - 1/4 tsp Japanese chili pepper powder or cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Grind toasted sesame seeds (optional): Use Japanese mortar & pestle (or regular mortar & pestle.) Place toasted sesame seeds and gently grind until the sesame seeds are partially ground. Set it aside.
- Gently crush the cucumber by pressing it with palms. Cut into chunks (about 3/4-inch.) Set it aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a large bowl, combine soy sauce (or tamari), rice vinegar, cane sugar, ground toasted sesame seeds, and Japanese chili pepper powder. Mix well until well combined.
- Add the cucumber to the bowl and toss them together until well coated with the sauce. Then, add toasted sesame oil and give it a quick toss.
- Keep in the fridge for at least 30 minutes then serve.
Notes
Choice of Cucumber
- Any seedless cucumber of your choice would work.
- Use Japanese cucumber for more authentic taste.
Ground Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Use Japanese mortar and pestle to grind toasted sesame seeds for the best result.
- Optionally, use toasted sesame seeds without grinding them.
- Japanese chili pepper powder is a ground Takanotsume pepper which has a quite intense heat.
- It’s also known as “Ichimi Pepper.”
- Use cayenne pepper as a substitute.
How Long to Pickle
- The dish could be served right away but letting chilled in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or longer would allow cucumber to absorb flavors.
How to Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 1-2 days.
How to Serve
- It’s best to serve with a bowl of Japanese rice
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