Vegetable
Japanese Cucumber
A tier
Japanese cucumbers (often kyuri types) are slender, deep green, thin-skinned fruits with small seeds and a crisp, slightly sweet flesh suited to sunomono, rolled cuts, and quick salt-massage salads. Ridged skin is edible; bitterness is bred low in modern lines. Length sits between Persian minis and full English greenhouse cucumbers. Slice on the bias, smash lightly for irregular surfaces that hold dressing, or roll-cut for stir-fries added at the end. No peeling. Keep cold but not freezing; thin skins shrivel fast if left uncovered.
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History
Japanese growers selected slender thin-skinned cucumbers for fresh seasonal eating.
Modern kyuri types standardised for domestic market uniformity.
Japanese cucumber seed and produce reached overseas Asian markets and restaurants.
Specialty grocers outside Asia stocked Japanese-type cucumbers for home sushi and sunomono.