Steps

1. Prepare a bowl and thinly slice 1 cucumber using a slicer. Remove the stem ends. 【The Key!} Thinly sliced cucumbers allow the dressing to cling better. Be careful not to cut yourself, and secure the bowl with a wet towel if it slips.
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2. Add 2 pinches of salt and 2 pinches of sugar to the sliced cucumbers and rub them together.
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3. Let the cucumbers sit for about 5 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
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4. Add 5g of dried wakame seaweed to a bowl, pour in 250ml of water, and rehydrate for about 5 minutes. 【The Key!} Be careful not to use too much water or rehydrate for too long, as this can leach out the flavor.
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5. Place 1.5 tbsp of mirin (sweet rice wine) in a heatproof container and microwave for 30 seconds to evaporate the alcohol.
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6. In a larger bowl, combine the heated mirin, 5g of salted kombu, and 1.5 tbsp of vinegar, and mix briefly.
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7. 【The Key!} Heated mirin has a clean sweetness and a low GI value, making it safe for children. Salted kombu adds saltiness and umami.
8. Pat dry the moisture that has come out of the salt-rubbed cucumbers with a paper towel. 【The Key!} Don't squeeze them tightly; just wipe off the surface moisture. This prevents the flavor from becoming diluted and eliminates the need to increase the amount of seasoning.
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9. Add the dried cucumbers to the prepared dressing and mix briefly.
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10. Squeeze out the excess water from the rehydrated wakame seaweed and add it to the dressing, then mix everything thoroughly. 【The Key!} By mixing the cucumbers into the dressing while it's still concentrated and then adding the wakame, you prevent the wakame's moisture from diluting the flavor. Squeeze the wakame well.
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11. Chill the mixed vinegared salad in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes. 【The Key!} Vinegared salads taste several times better when well chilled; if warm, the acidity will be dull.
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12. Lightly mix the chilled vinegared salad and taste.
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13. Add 0.5 tbsp of vinegar, 2 pinches of sugar, and toasted sesame seeds that have been crushed by hand to the chilled vinegared salad, and mix briefly. 【The Key!} By adding the vinegar and sugar in two stages just before serving, you can achieve a clear sourness and sweetness even with a small amount of seasoning, resulting in a refined taste. Crushing the sesame seeds before adding them enhances their aroma.
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