Japanese Cucumber Salad Recipe (Sunomono) - Sweet & Tangy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Tsukemono and sunomono? ›

Sunomono refers to specifically quick pickled cucumbers. Therefore, sunomono is a type of tsukemono.

Japanese cucumbers are mild and crunchy, with an unsweet melon-like flavor. The skins can also be eaten, although you could peel them in alternating green stripes for aesthetics.

Breaking down the word Sunomono, Su means vinegar and Mono means thing, so Sunomono would mean vinegar thing. This just typically means a dish is vinegar based.

Japanese cucumbers are smaller and have few to no seeds, making them a wonderful fresh produce item. They have a smooth dark-green skin with light-green internal flesh. The skin is very tender so there's no need for peeling before eating.

Japanese cucumbers are an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, folic acid, potassium, and silica, which is a trace mineral that helps strengthen connective tissue. Japanese cucumbers in pickled form are an essential component in Japanese cuisine.

The texture of the seeds is minimal, so Japanese Cucumbers are considered seedless. It's also on the drier side compared to other cucumbers that can be very watery. This cucumber is used in a wide variety of delicious Japanese dishes and it's usually eaten raw.

The Japanese cucumber, AKA Kyuri, is a member of the Cucuritaceae family, one of the most important food plant families, which also includes melons, gourds, squashes and pumpkins. Japanese cucumbers are the fruit of a trailing and climbing plant yet they are often referred to as a vegetable and utilized as such.

Buta means "pig" or "pork", and don is short for donburi, the Japanese word for "bowl". Butadon originated from the city of Obihiro, Japan.

Sunomono Salad with Kelp for Thyroid Support

A quick treat for a healthy thyroid, this cucumber and seaweed (kelp) salad is loaded with iodine and selenium, the essentials for a balanced hormone production in thyroid.

"This light, refreshing salad is a great start to any Japanese meal. I enjoy this fresh salad as a starter to a sushi dinner or alone for a light lunch.

Why are my Japanese cucumbers bitter? ›

Usually, cucurbitacin stays in the stem and leaves, but it can work its way into the fruit, causing bitter cucumbers. Cucumbers tend to grow bitter when the plant is under stress from inconsistent water, fluctuating temperatures or poor soil. The higher the level of the compound, the more bitter the fruit.

The best way to keep cucumbers fresh is to store cucumbers in the refrigerator. For optimal taste and freshness, consume the cucumbers within seven to ten days of purchasing them from a grocery store or farmers' market.

Sunomono (酢の物)

The four recipes are Kyuri-su (cucumber sunomono), Tako-su (octopus sunomono), Kani-su (crab sunomono), and kaiso moriwase-su (mixed seafood sunomono).

Crunchy with an appetizingly sour & sweet-tart flavor, tsukemono are the Japanese pickles served alongside rice and miso soup. Find out more about the different types of tsukemono you may encounter in a Japanese meal.

Japanese cucumbers can grow quite long, commonly being picked when they are at least 12 inches. Like other longer varieties, they are thin skinned and have minimal seeds. They are of the sweetest and most flavorful cucumbers.