Steps

1. Prepare the pickling liquid. Combine 100ml water, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp sugar, and 1 tbsp vinegar in a pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool.
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2. Trim the ends off the cucumbers and cut each into 3 equal pieces. Cut each piece lengthwise into 4 strips. If using thinner cucumbers, cutting them in half lengthwise is also fine.
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3. To remove bitterness from the cucumbers, after trimming the ends, twist the tips for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. If foam appears, rinse with water.
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4. Gently wash the shiso leaves and thoroughly pat them dry with paper towels. Trim the stems. (Key Tip!) Residual moisture can cause the pickles to spoil quickly, so dry them carefully.
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5. Thinly slice the garlic and remove the green sprout. (Key Tip!) The sprout can cause an unpleasant taste, so be sure to remove it.
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6. While the pickling liquid is still warm, add the sliced garlic to infuse the flavor. (Key Tip!) Adding the garlic while the liquid is warm helps the flavor transfer better.
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7. Cut the chili pepper in half, remove the seeds, and slice into rounds. If you prefer less heat, you can leave the seeds in or add the chili pepper whole without cutting.
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8. Lay a shiso leaf flat with the underside facing up. Place one cut cucumber strip near the edge and roll it up tightly.
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9. Arrange the rolled cucumbers tightly in a storage container.
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10. Add the sliced chili peppers to the storage container.
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11. Add 1/2 tbsp sesame oil to the pickling liquid and mix well. Pour the liquid over the cucumbers. (Key Tip!) Adding sesame oil after the pickling liquid has cooled slightly helps preserve its aroma.
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12. If the cucumbers are not fully submerged in the pickling liquid, cover them with a piece of paper towel and use a spoon to moisten the un-submerged parts. (Key Tip!) Using paper towel ensures that all parts of the cucumbers absorb the flavor evenly.
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13. Cover the storage container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to pickle.
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14. (Optional: Reusing the pickling liquid) Make Daikon Radish Pickles. The leftover pickling liquid will be diluted by the moisture from the cucumbers. Reheat the liquid in a pot over medium heat until boiling, and simmer for about 30 seconds to concentrate the flavor.
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15. Peel the daikon radish, cut it into 5mm thick slices, and then cut each slice into 4 pieces.
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16. Place the cut daikon radish in a bowl, add 1/2 tsp salt, and mix well. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
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17. After 10 minutes, firmly squeeze out the moisture from the daikon radish.
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18. Bring the reheated pickling liquid back to a boil. Add the squeezed daikon radish, mix, and bring back to a boil. (Key Tip!) Heating the daikon radish in the hot pickling liquid will improve its crunchy texture and help the flavor penetrate.
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19. Once the daikon radish and pickling liquid have both boiled, turn off the heat and transfer to a storage container.
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20. Cover the daikon radish with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to ensure it's fully submerged in the pickling liquid. Once cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to pickle.
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