"Infinite Shiso Cucumbers" with No Salt-Rubbing and Just 15 Minutes of Pickling: Quick Pickles Made with Accordion Cuts, Chicken-Stock Soy Sauce, and Olive Oil

The ingredients are 4 cucumbers (quite large on this day, about 500 g), 10 shiso leaves, dried red chili, 2½ teaspoons of chicken stock powder, 2½ tablespoons of soy sauce, 2½ tablespoons of water, and 2½ tablespoons of olive oil.

The cucumbers are simply washed under water while being rubbed by hand, with no salt-rubbing. Ryuji's position is, "I don't do anything that troublesome." Ryuji also touches on the technique of cutting off the stem end and rubbing the cut surfaces together. Apparently this removes bitterness due to certain compounds, and if you're eating the cucumber as is, it takes away the harshness and makes it tastier. However, Ryuji also mentions having said in a previous video that it "doesn't really do much," and states that when making pickles, since you're adding seasoning anyway, it probably doesn't make much difference after all.

The key to this recipe is the cutting method. First, make diagonal cuts along the cucumber, lining up the slits without cutting all the way through. Then flip it over and make straight crosswise cuts on the other side. Ryuji says that if you move the knife so that its tip touches the cutting board first, you can avoid cutting all the way through.

For people worried about failing or for beginners, Ryuji recommends placing two disposable chopsticks on either side of the cucumber. The blade stops at the chopsticks, so you won't cut all the way through. That said, Ryuji also adds that it's no problem at all if you do end up cutting through.

When a staff member asked whether the flavor absorbs differently compared with pickling cucumbers cut into bite-sized pieces, such as rolling cuts, Ryuji answered, "Completely different." With the accordion cut, the flavor penetrates from inside the slits, so there's no need to pickle them for a full day. Lightly pressing the finished cucumber opens up the slits, making it look nicer and easier to pick up.

The cucumbers are packed tightly into a container. Unless the container is filled to capacity, the liquid won't reach everything, and Ryuji notes that accordion-cut cucumbers fit in surprisingly well.

About 10 shiso leaves are chopped and scattered over the cucumbers. Ryuji says the shiso adds a nice aroma. Ryuji puts in plenty of dried chili because of personally liking spicy food, but says households with children don't need to add as much.

Asked whether the recipe works with vegetables other than cucumbers, Ryuji answered that zucchini goes very well. The pickling time is similarly about 10 to 15 minutes, but since zucchini is large, it tastes better if left a little longer.

The pickling liquid combines 2½ teaspoons of chicken stock powder, 2½ tablespoons of soy sauce, and the same amount of water as soy sauce. Ryuji calls this pickle a "chicken-stock soy sauce pickle." You can add vinegar if you want it sour, but Ryuji doesn't, not being a big fan of sour things.

For the oil, 2½ tablespoons of olive oil is added instead of sesame oil. According to Ryuji, olive oil adds richness and also brings a refreshing aroma. Adding oil makes the flavors meld extremely well, and chicken stock, soy sauce, and olive oil go together very nicely. Although it's a pickle, the added oil gives it a bit of a marinade element as well, Ryuji explains.

Put the lid on the container and turn it upside down, and the chicken stock powder will naturally spread throughout. Ryuji says it's fine if you press things down a bit and they lose their shape, since it still tastes good. At this stage, Ryuji remarked, there's already a lovely aroma of olive oil and shiso. This dish is also made with the concept of not relying on garlic.

After chilling in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and taking it out, you can see from above that the liquid has soaked in considerably. Ryuji says it pickles this much in just 10 minutes. At this point, the container is flipped over so the liquid reaches the other side as well.

After 10 minutes, the cucumbers had settled neatly into the container. According to Ryuji's explanation, osmosis from the salt in the soy sauce and chicken stock draws moisture out of the cucumbers, making them soften and come together. Because of the slits, they also hold together well when plated. Moving the shiso aside a little reveals that the chicken-stock soy sauce liquid has risen all the way to the top. When this much liquid comes out, it affects the final flavor, and that's what makes it so delicious, Ryuji says.

From there, the cucumbers are pickled for about another 5 minutes, roughly 15 minutes in total. Since they taste better well chilled, they go back into the refrigerator. Finally, they're arranged on a plate and tidied up for presentation, and the dish is done. The finished dish is introduced as "cucumbers pickled in shiso and chicken-stock soy sauce."

When lifted, the accordion stretches out springily, and you can see that the flavor has soaked all the way in. Because accordion-cut cucumbers pickle easily, Ryuji says this is "the way to make instantly pickled cucumbers." Ryuji also notes that since cucumbers are mostly water inside, soaking them in seasoning liquid draws that water out. So even with larger cucumbers, things work out surprisingly well if you let them pickle.

Joining the tasting was someone Ryuji calls "Taisho." Taisho said they initially thought they tasted sesame oil. When Ryuji revealed it was chicken-stock soy sauce and olive oil and that the pickling time was about 15 minutes, Taisho was surprised, saying, "It's this pickled in 15 minutes?" and called it perfect for summer. Ryuji explained again that many cucumber pickle recipes involve soaking for a day, but with the accordion cut, the seasoning gets inside, so the flavor takes hold in this amount of time.

Asked how long it keeps, Ryuji answered, "Pretty well," saying 4 to 5 days should be totally fine. The longer it pickles, the more water comes out of the cucumbers and the more the flavor soaks in.

Ryuji recommends eating it with silken tofu. After first having Taisho eat the pickled cucumbers on top of rice, Ryuji takes an appropriate amount of silken tofu and breaks it up. Cucumbers cut with kitchen scissors are placed on top, and a little of the pickling liquid is drizzled over it. This is then poured over rice and eaten. Ryuji says they love tofu rice bowls.

Taisho said it was their first time eating it this way and described it as "kind of like hiyajiru." Ryuji agreed, saying it's well suited to the hot summer months. After actually eating it, Taisho reacted with, "This is super good."

According to Ryuji, tofu has its own flavor, so adding it makes the rice go down easily and also provides protein. For a lunch at home, this alone makes a full meal. Ryuji also touches on the cost: a bag of cucumbers is about 150 to 200 yen, and tofu is under 100 yen, so you can make a meal cheaply. Note that while scissors were used to cut the cucumbers when placing them on the tofu, the accordion cut itself is done with a knife, not scissors.

Ryuji explains that it would also taste good with sesame oil, but that would make it "run-of-the-mill," so olive oil was chosen instead. As Taisho's mistaking it for sesame oil shows, conceptually it occupies a position close to sesame oil.

The key is choosing an olive oil with little aroma. According to Ryuji, the inexpensive olive oils commonly sold in supermarkets have a very mild aroma and go extremely well with soy sauce. On the other hand, expensive imported olive oils have quite a strong olive aroma. Ryuji stresses that using one with a mild aroma is "extremely important," and Taisho agreed that there was no olive smell, with the oil adding only richness and flavor.

Finally, Ryuji said that it's delicious with tofu, works both as a snack with drinks and as a side dish with rice, goes great with beer and sake, and can be made ahead. Ryuji then wrapped up by urging viewers to be sure to try making this summer's "Infinite Shiso Cucumbers."