The first time I tried these Japanese candied sweet potatoes, I remember thinking: why is something this basic so good? They’re just sweet potato pieces that get steamed, fried, and tossed in a quick syrup glaze—but the texture is the whole magic. Crisp edges, soft center, and that shiny coating that sets up just enough to feel like candy. If you’ve ever ended up with sticky syrup or soggy sweet potatoes, don’t worry.

The method is easy once you do it in the right order, and I’ll show you exactly when to steam, when to fry, and when to glaze so it actually works.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Japanese sweet potatoes (satsuma-imo) (450 g)

• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying (enough for about 2 inches / 5 cm depth)

• 1/4 cup water (60 ml)

• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (about 2.8 oz / 80 g)

• 2 Tbsp evaporated cane sugar (about 0.7 oz / 20 g)

• 2 tsp black sesame seeds

Instructions

1) Cut the sweet potatoes

Trim the ends, then cut into rangiri chunks: slice at a 45° angle, rotate the potato 90°, slice again, and repeat. Aim for pieces that are roughly the same thickness so they cook evenly.

2) Soak

Add the pieces to a bowl of cold water and soak for 10 minutes (this helps remove excess starch). Drain well.

3) Steam until nearly tender

Put the drained sweet potatoes in a pan with 1/4 cup water (60 ml). Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the water is almost gone and the potatoes are mostly tender (a fork should go in with a little resistance).

Remove the lid and let any remaining water fully evaporate.

4) Heat the oil

Heat about 2 inches of oil to 340°F (170°C) in a pot or deep skillet.

5) Fry

Carefully add the sweet potatoes and fry for 4–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly crisp. Remove to a rack or paper towel.

6) Make the glaze

In the same pan you used for steaming, add:

• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (80 g)

• 2 Tbsp evaporated cane sugar (20 g)

Warm over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves and the glaze looks smooth.

7) Coat the sweet potatoes

Add the fried sweet potatoes to the glaze and toss until glossy and evenly coated.
If the glaze tightens too fast, add 1 tsp water at a time to loosen it.

8) Finish

Add 2 tsp black sesame seeds and toss once more. Serve warm.

If you’re making these again (and you probably will), pin the photo below so you don’t lose it.

Tips and Tricks (So They Turn Out Right)

• Cut matters more than shape. Rangiri looks nice, but the real goal is even thickness. If some pieces are thin and some are thick, the thin ones brown too fast while the thick ones stay firm inside.

• Don’t skip the soak. A quick soak pulls off surface starch so the pieces fry cleaner and don’t glue themselves together.

• Steam until “almost” tender, not fully soft. You want a fork to go in with a little resistance. If they’re fully soft before frying, they can break apart and drink up oil.

• Let the pan go dry before frying. After steaming, keep the lid off and cook for a minute until the water is completely gone. Any leftover moisture = more splatter and less crisp.

• Hold the oil around 340°F (170°C). Too hot and the outside gets dark before the inside is right; too cool and they soak up oil. Fry in small batches if your pot is crowded—crowding drops the oil temp fast.

• Use a rack if you can. Draining on a wire rack keeps the bottoms from getting soft. Paper towels work, but they trap steam.

• Warm the glaze gently. You’re not trying to boil it hard—just heat it enough to dissolve the sugar and make it loose. If it thickens too much in the pan, it’ll turn into sticky candy before you can coat the potatoes.

• Toss fast, then stop. Once the sweet potatoes are coated and glossy, take them off the heat. Overcooking after glazing can make the coating gritty or overly hard.

• If the glaze tightens up: Add 1 teaspoon water at a time and stir. It loosens back up quickly—don’t dump in a bunch or it’ll go thin.

• Sesame timing: Add sesame at the very end so it sticks to the coating instead of sinking into the syrup.

• Best texture window: These are at their peak within 15–30 minutes. They’re still good later, but the crisp edges soften as they sit.

If you’ve ever tried that famous Din Tai Fung cucumber salad and wondered why it tastes so simple—but somehow impossible to stop eating—this is the little trick behind it.

At Din Tai Fung, this cucumber salad is the kind of thing you happily order… and then realize you just paid $9.50 for cucumbers because it’s that addictive. The good news? It’s way cheaper to make at home, and you can get the same cold, crisp crunch with that garlicky-sesame, tangy-sweet bite—plus a little soy sauce depth—without leaving your kitchen.

Ingredients

Cucumbers

• 8 Persian cucumbers, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 1/2 tablespoons mirin

• 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced

• 1–2 teaspoons soy sauce (start with 1 tsp)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or skip—see note)

To serve

• 1/2 tablespoon chili oil (more to taste)

• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 Fresno chile, minced (optional)

Salt note: If your soy sauce is regular (not low-sodium), you can usually skip the 1/4 tsp salt in the dressing. Add it only if needed after chilling.

Instructions 

1) Salt the cucumbers (for crunch)

1. Put sliced cucumbers in a bowl.

2. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt and toss well.

3. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

2) Rinse and dry (so the dressing doesn’t get watered down)

1. Drain the liquid.

2. Rinse cucumbers under cold water for 10–15 seconds.

3. Pat very dry with paper towels (this matters).

3) Make the dressing (dissolve the sugar fully)

In a small bowl, whisk until the sugar feels mostly dissolved:

• rice vinegar

• sugar

• mirin

• toasted sesame oil

• garlic

• soy sauce (1 tsp to start)

• optional 1/4 tsp salt

4) Marinate

1. Toss cucumbers with the dressing.

2. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (best overnight).

5) Finish and serve

1. Toss again and taste.

2. If it needs more salt, add a tiny pinch (or another 1/2–1 tsp soy sauce).

3. Drizzle with chili oil and the extra sesame oil.

4. Add Fresno chile if using. Serve cold.

Loved this one? Save it now so you can find it fast later—tap the image below and pin it to your favorite Pinterest board.

Tips & Tricks (So It Tastes Like the Real Thing)

• Salt = crunch. Don’t skip it.
  The 30-minute salt rest pulls out water so the cucumbers stay snappy and the dressing doesn’t get diluted.

• Dry the cucumbers like you mean it.
  After rinsing, pat them very dry. If they’re wet, the dressing turns watery and the flavor gets flat.

• Use Persian cucumbers if you can.
  They’re naturally crisp with thin skin and fewer seeds. If using English cucumbers, scoop out the watery seed strip or expect a softer result.

• Keep the soy sauce subtle.
  Start with 1 teaspoon. You can always add more later, but too much will overpower the clean, bright flavor and darken the salad.

• Let it marinate long enough.
  Minimum 4 hours is where it starts tasting “restaurant.” Overnight is best.

• Taste and adjust after chilling.
  Cold food tastes less salty and less sweet. Always taste once it’s fully chilled, then tweak:

  • Needs more pop? add a tiny splash of rice vinegar.

  • Needs more depth? add 1/2 tsp soy sauce.

  • Needs more heat? add more chili oil.

• Don’t drown it in chili oil—finish lightly.
  Chili oil is a topper, not the base. Add a drizzle right before serving so it stays fragrant and doesn’t dominate.

• Toasted sesame oil only.
  Make sure it’s toasted sesame oil (dark, nutty). Regular sesame oil tastes different and won’t give that signature aroma.

• Sugar must fully dissolve.
  Whisk the dressing until it doesn’t feel gritty. If needed, let it sit 2–3 minutes, then whisk again.

• Best texture window:
  Peak crunch is usually 8–24 hours after mixing. Still tasty up to 2 days, then it starts softening.

• Want extra “Din Tai Fung” vibes?
  Add the Fresno chile and serve ice-cold, straight from the fridge—this salad is meant to be chilled, not room temp.

Mango and jalapeño are one of those combinations that just make sense. The sweetness of ripe mango softens the heat, while fresh jalapeños keep the sauce lively without overwhelming everything else on the plate. This fermented mango jalapeño hot sauce is smooth, vibrant, and incredibly versatile — spicy enough to wake things up, but balanced enough to use generously.

Unlike heavily vinegary hot sauces, this one leans into fresh flavor. Ripe mango brings natural sweetness, lime adds brightness, and a quick blend turns everything into a silky sauce that works just as well on tacos as it does on grilled chicken, fish, eggs, or roasted vegetables. It comes together fast, keeps well in the fridge, and tastes even better after a short rest.

Ingredients

Brine

• 2 cups unchlorinated water (bottled, filtered, or spring) – 473 ml

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, sea salt, or pickling salt – 17 g

Fermentation Ingredients

• 1½ cups ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks

• 4–5 fresh jalapeño peppers, stems removed, cut into chunks

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 white onion

After Fermentation

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Instructions

1. Make the brine

In a jug or bowl, combine the water and salt. Whisk until the salt is fully dissolved and the liquid looks clear. Use cool or room-temperature water, not hot.

2. Pack the jar

Use a clean 1-quart (1-liter) glass jar.
Add the garlic and onion first, then pack in the mango chunks and jalapeños. Press everything down gently so it’s compact, but leave about 1–1½ inches (2.5–4 cm) of space at the top.

3. Add brine and weigh down

Pour the brine into the jar until all the solids are fully submerged.
Use a fermentation weight to keep everything under the liquid. If you don’t have one, a small clean glass or a zip-top bag filled with a bit of brine works just as well.
Tap the jar lightly on the counter to release trapped air bubbles.

4. Ferment

Close the jar with a fermenting lid or a regular lid screwed on loosely.
Place it on the counter, away from direct sunlight, and let it ferment for 3–5 days.

During fermentation:

• Small bubbles are normal

• The brine may turn cloudy

• The smell should be pleasantly sour, slightly fruity, and fresh

Start tasting on day 3. When it tastes lightly tangy and balanced, it’s ready.

5. Strain and reserve the brine

Pour the contents of the jar through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl.
Reserve the brine — you may need a little of it for blending.
Transfer the fermented mango, jalapeños, onion, and garlic to a blender.

6. Blend the hot sauce

Add the vinegar, lime juice, cumin, and coriander to the blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved brine 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Taste and adjust if needed:

• More tang → a splash of vinegar or lime juice

• More salt → a teaspoon of brine

• More heat → blend in an extra jalapeño (fresh or fermented)

7. Bottle and store

Transfer the finished sauce to clean glass bottles or jars.
Refrigerate and use within 2–3 weeks.
The flavor usually improves after the first day in the fridge.

Enjoyed this recipe? Go ahead and share the image below to your Pinterest board so it’s easy to find again.

Video Recipe