-
1
Slice the cucumber thinly and place in a colander. Toss with fine salt and allow to stand for several minutes. Squeeze firmly with both hands to expel as much water as possible. The cucumber must feel dry and compacted in the hand; any remaining surface moisture will dilute the dressing and destroy the presentation.
-
2
Prepare the sanbaizu. Combine rice vinegar, mirin, and light soy in the ratio 3:2:1. Calibrate the ratio to the primary ingredient: shift toward more soy and less sweetener for seafood preparations; shift toward more sweetener and less soy for vegetable preparations. For tosazu, simmer the vinegar with katsuobushi for 2 minutes, strain, then stir in the soy and mirin. The dressing should read as cleanly acid-sweet-savoury with no single element dominating.
-
3
Cut all components to uniform, bite-sized pieces. This is not a matter of aesthetics alone: pieces too large will have under-dressed cores. Every surface must be able to receive equal dressing distribution.
-
4
Dress the components lightly and evenly. Toss to coat. Sunomono must be lightly but thoroughly dressed; excess dressing will pool at the base of the serving vessel and produce acid overload. The components should glisten but not sit in liquid.
-
5
Temper the dressed sunomono to 12–15°C before service. Do not serve directly from the refrigerator: refrigerator temperature suppresses acid perception and flavour. The sunomono should feel cool but not numbing cold to the touch of the vessel.
-
6
If using yuzu juice, add a single drop per portion immediately before service to preserve the volatile aromatics. The scent rising from the bowl should be clean, bright acid with the particular citrus note of yuzu distinctly present.