Spicy Japanese Pickled Cucumbers

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for seasonings: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp la-yu (Japanese chili oil), and ½ tsp sugar.
2. Peel 2 Japanese or Persian cucumbers in a striped pattern, alternately peeling ½-inch (1.3-cm) wide strips lengthwise with strips of skin intact. With this method, the cucumber slices will have some decorative dark green accents and a little bit of extra crunchiness.
3. Cut the cucumber using the Japanese cutting technique called rangiri. 
4. Sprinkle ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the cucumbers and rub them with your hands. This is an important step to seal the moisture in the cucumber during pickling.
5. Leave at the cutting board for 5 minutes, then transfer to a sieve. Quickly rinse the salt under running water.
6. Pat dry the excess moisture on the cucumber.
7. In a container or a resealable plastic bag, add the seasonings.
8. Mix well and add the cucumber.
9. Close the lid of the container, or seal the bag after releasing the air out. Shake the container or rub the cucumber from outside the bag.
10. If you have a weight, you can put it directly on top of the cucumber. The heavy weight will help pickle faster. Keep in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

To Serve

1. Take out the container/bag from the refrigerator and remove the weight if you used any.
2. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!

To Store

1. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Discard the pickle solution after 2 hours or when cucumber is pickled to your liking.