Japanese Cucumber Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 kirby cucumbers or 2 large cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup Chinese white rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or 2 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds (or a mixture of both) or 1/2 teaspoon black sesame seed (or a mixture of both)

Preparation

Cut the cucumbers into paper-thin slices. In a large bowl, toss the cucumber slices with the salt (this draws out excess water). Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Drain the cucumber slices in a colander and gently squeeze them with your hands to squeeze out excess water. Return the slices to the large bowl and toss with the rice vinegar mixture. Transfer the cucumber to a serving dish. Serve at room temperature with sushi, noodles, stir-fries, etc.