Crunchy Pickled Cucumbers

Trim both ends off the cucumbers, cut them into 1cm pieces, and place them in a bowl. Cutting them thicker rather than thin brings out a crunchy texture.

Add salt to the cut cucumbers and work it thoroughly through them.

Once the salt is worked in, let them sit for 20 minutes. Osmosis draws the water out of the cucumbers, curbing the grassy smell and making them ready to absorb flavor.

Slice the ginger thinly, lay the slices out, and cut from one end to julienne them.

After the 20 minutes, squeeze the cucumbers firmly to remove the water and transfer them to another bowl.

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and vinegar in a pot to make the pickling sauce, and heat over medium heat until it boils, dissolving the sugar.

Once the sauce comes to a simmer, add the cucumbers and ginger and toss to coat everything in the sauce. When the whole pot returns to a simmer, turn off the heat.

Leave off the heat for about 30 minutes to cool down. Stir the cucumbers occasionally so they all stay submerged in the sauce.

Remove the cucumbers and ginger, draining off the liquid. It's fine if some ginger remains behind.

Heat just the remaining pickling liquid over medium heat and keep it at a boil for about 1 minute.

After about 1 minute, turn off the heat and add the shio kombu and, if you like, the fish powder while it's still hot. Let it sit for 20–30 minutes to cool the liquid down completely.

Return the cucumbers and ginger to the cooled liquid, mix well, and add the dried red chili. Lay a paper towel over the top so everything stays submerged, cover, and refrigerate overnight.