Cucumber and Wakame Seaweed Sunomono Recipe – Japanese Cooking 101 (2024)

FAQs

What does the Japanese culinary term sunomono mean? ›

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.

Wakame is best preserved in its dry state, so only rehydrate the leaves or fronds you need. To rehydrate wakame, soak it in water for 3-5 minutes (it will expand 6-10 times its dried size). Since the soaking water is sweet and full of nutrients, don't throw it out!

Called Kyuri (胡瓜・きゅうり) in Japanese, these crunchy cucumbers have forest green skin with long and slender bodies. The length is between an English cucumber and a Persian cucumber. Japanese cucumbers do not contain developed seeds and are slightly sweet with no bitterness.

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).

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

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

Also, others say that you should always wash wakame, rehydrate it, and cook it briefly before eating it. They say that unprocessed wakame would need washing to clean it and it should be cooked to get rid of possible little critters that were caught with it.

Fresh salted wakame needs to be rinsed and rehydrated in water before use. Dried wakame comes in three different shapes. Large leaves and thin strands, called "thread" wakame (ito-wakame/糸わかめ), should be first cut into 1-2" (3-4 cm) pieces using kitchen shears.

The Bottom Line. Wakame is a highly nutritious, edible seaweed that can add a range of vitamins and minerals to your diet for a low number of calories. It's also been associated with various health benefits, including lower cholesterol levels, decreased blood pressure, enhanced weight loss and reduced blood sugar.

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.

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.

Commodity Overview. The Japanese cucumber is 9 to 10 inches long and smaller in diameter than regular cucumbers. It has a bumpy skin and a milder flavor than regular cucumbers. It is available year-round.

How do you say “nine cucumbers”? Kyuri kyuhon, kyuri kyuko, kyuri kyuhiki or kyuri kyuto? If that fires you up, you are probably not only a language-lover but a puzzle-solver, with the type of intellect that thrills not only to cryptic crosswords but to sudoku or brainteasers like the matchbox riddle.

Common in traditional Japanese food and other Asian cuisines, daikon is a white, crunchy root vegetable that can brighten up meals, adding texture and sweet flavor to dishes and condiments. Cubed, grated or sliced, it adds bite and character to anything it's in.

Sunomono (酢の物), which literally means “vinegared dish” is a traditional Japanese side dish which is made with cucumbers among other things.

While the Sunomono can be as simple as a small dish of cucumber with some sesame seeds, we often mix in seafood such as Tako (octopus) or crab. Tako Sunomono, or Tako-su for short, can also be seen as an appetizer at many Japanese restaurants.

Sunomono (酢の物) refers to vinegar-based dishes, and they are commonly served as a side dish to the main meal. These light refreshing vinegar salads are a great start to any meal as the sourness from the vinegar helps whet your appetite.