It is a spicy pickle with a hint of sesame oil and garlic. They are easy to eat even in the hot summer.
In summer in Finland, it is rare for the temperature to exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Nights cool down to below 20 degrees Celsius almost every day. Still, the sun shines for a long time. Also, many houses and stores are not equipped with air conditioners. So, the heat is quite hard to bear. And to my surprise, I got summer fatigue for the first time in my life, here in Finland. It was the first time in my life that I lost my appetite due to the heat.
I thought of something that I could eat even in the heat, and more importantly, something that was easy enough to make even in the heat. So I made various kinds of pickles. This is one of them. It’s easy to make, you can beat it with a rolling pin to relieve stress, and it’s delicious, all good things in one recipe.

Spicy Pickled Cucumber with Sesame Oil and Garlic


- cucumber 300 g
- sesame oil (1 Tbsp) 12 g
- Chinese soup stock (2 tsp) 6 g
- soy sauce (1 tsp) 6 g
- garlic (1 clove) 6 g
- rough ground chili pepper
- Put the cucumber in a plastic bag and beat it with a rolling pin (*1). Tap it horizontally several times and then vertically to break it into pieces.
- Finely chop the garlic.
- Add all the seasonings, close the bag, and mix well.
- Let it set in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
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