Taiwanese Cold Cucumber Side dish (涼拌黃瓜)

I have no idea who came up with the idea of cold side dishes as a compliment to your main meal in Taiwanese culture, or even where it originates from, but if you ever visit a Taiwanese restaurant you are very likely to find a refrigerator full of these little side dishes for you to choose from. The dishes are all the same cost and you just pick up what you want, bring it to your table (self-serve) and the waitress counts the number of plates you have at the end of the meal. The selection of side dishes range varies, but pickled cabbage, cold cucumbers, marinated braised peanuts and some type of tofu/seaweed dish are usually present. Here is a very quick and simple way to marinate your cucumbers like the ones found in Taiwanese shops!

INGREDIENTS

• 300g Cucumbers*
• 40g (3T + 1 tsp) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 40mL rice vinegar
• 1-2 red pepper (use 2 if you like it really spicy)
• 1T minced garlic - about 3 cloves
• Sesame - to taste
• 1/4 tsp Peppercorn chili oil (use more if you like more numbing!)

*I use the 1.5lb bag cocktail cucumbers from Costco. 300g is about 6 cocktail cucumbers, which is half of the bag. I've also made this using Garden cucumbers (the most common type found in North American grocery stores), but make sure to peel and remove seeds before using. 
  
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and dry cucumbers and cut off the ends. Slice red peppers diagonally into strips if using.
2. Cut cucumbers lengthwise in half, then quarter them lengthwise, and cut into 2" pieces. 
3. Add sugar to the cut cucumbers and mix, then add the salt and gently massage with your hands.
4. Add minced garlic, red peppers, and rice vinegar to the cucumbers and mix.
5. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil to taste, and add 1/4 tsp peppercorn chili oil. 
6. You can serve immediately, but letting the cucumbers soak for 1-2 hours in the fridge (even overnight) will allow them to absorb more flavor and become even tastier.

PICTORIAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut ends off cucumbers, then cut lengthwise in half, and then quarter lengthwise so they resemble long strips.

Cut the cucumbers into 2" pieces, add sugar, mix, then add salt and mix. Add minced garlic, red peppers, rice vinegar and mix.

Serve chilled.

If you don't eat the cucumbers right away, you will notice that overtime more and more liquid is released (if you leave it in the fridge overnight, you will find the cucumbers floating in a liquid bath). This is due to the simple process of osmosis as the salt gets absorbed by the cucumbers. I usually just let the cucumbers sit in this liquid and drain before eating.