Cucumber Salad

I never really knew that the Chinese have so many types of salads until I came to Beijing. There is a whole section of cold dishes on their menus and Chinese salads are mainly dressed with sesame oil and vinegar. Cucumber salad became one of my favourites. Perfect accompaniment to that all-in-a-pot chicken rice.

Cut the cucumber into sections. Using the side of your chopper, hit the cucumber to flatten it. This ensures that the dressing can be easily absorbed into the cucumber.



Cut them up into small pieces. Chop some garlic and throw it in with the cucumber. You can also add some chili to the mixture.





Drizzle some sesame oil and vinegar. Mix it up and refrigerate before serving. You can use white Chinese vinegar or the black vinegar. I like the sweet smell of black Zhenjiang vinegar镇江醋.