Cuban-Japanese fusion recipe

Salmon with Sesame Sauce, Cucumber and Green Mango

Name: Salmon with Sesame Sauce, Cucumber and Green Mango
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 400 g cleaned salmon, skinless and boneless, suitable for raw consumption and already treated; 150 g cucumber; 120 g peeled green mango; 10 g chives; 30 g raw sesame seeds; 30 ml soy sauce; 20 ml cold water; 5 g grated ginger; 2 g brown sugar; 10 ml lime juice, added at the end

A fresh Cuban-Japanese fusion starter: sliced salmon with sesame sauce, julienned cucumber and green mango, and a touch of lime.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Cooking5 min
Total time35 min
Servings4 starters
DifficultyEasy

This recipe is a contemporary fusion dish that brings together the Cuban taste for tart, fresh flavors and a Japanese technique. It is inspired by ryukyu, a dish from Oita on the Japanese island of Kyushu, in which sliced raw fish is dressed with a soy and ground sesame sauce.

Here the fish is salmon, and the sauce includes ginger and a touch of brown sugar. The Caribbean twist comes from green mango, which adds that characteristic tart crunch, and a few drops of lime at the end. This is a loose adaptation: it is neither the traditional Oita recipe nor a classic Cuban dish.

It is served without rice as a light starter, on individual plates and with a thin coating of sauce so the salmon remains visible rather than being covered up.

Method

Sesame sauce

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over moderate heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so they brown evenly and do not burn. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
While the sesame seeds cool, cut the cucumber and green mango into a fine julienne and refrigerate the vegetables.
Grind the cooled seeds in a mortar until you have a slightly grainy paste. Add the soy sauce, cold water, grated ginger and brown sugar, and mix. If necessary, adjust the texture with a few more drops of water. Keep the sauce in the refrigerator at 4 °C or below.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Salmon and assembly

Using a very sharp knife and a clean cutting board reserved exclusively for raw fish, cut the cold salmon into thin, even slices.
Gently mix the slices with some of the chilled sauce, using just enough to leave a thin coating that keeps the fish visible. Cover and refrigerate at 4 °C or below for 10 minutes.
Divide the salmon among four plates and serve with the julienned cucumber and green mango. Finish with chopped chives and a few drops of lime just before serving. Eat immediately and do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Raw fish safety. Buy the salmon from a reliable supplier, choosing fish specifically intended for raw consumption, and confirm that it has undergone parasite control appropriate to its species and origin (normally, freezing validated by the supplier). Freshness alone is never a guarantee. Start with fish that has already been treated and thawed in the refrigerator.

Cold storage and hygiene. Keep the fish, sauce and raw preparations at 4 °C or below. Use a clean cutting board and knife exclusively for the raw fish, separate from those used for the vegetables, to avoid cross-contamination. Serve immediately after preparation and do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.

What does not make it safe. Lime, soy sauce, chilling or searing the outside does not make the raw center safe. Proper freezing controls parasites but does not eliminate all harmful microorganisms, and no method guarantees zero risk.

Fully cooked alternative. For pregnant people, children, older adults and immunocompromised people, cook the salmon on a griddle or in the oven until the center reaches 63 °C, let it cool slightly, then flake it or cut it into thick slices and serve with the same sauce and julienned vegetables. The result is different: the texture is firm and opaque, not silky and raw.

Gluten. Soy sauce often contains wheat, so this recipe is not suitable for people with celiac disease unless you use certified gluten-free soy sauce.

Tips. Toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat, stirring constantly, as they burn quickly and turn bitter. If the green mango is very tart, the julienned mango can rest in cold water for a few minutes. The sauce can be ground in a mortar and kept chilled, without the fish, for a few hours before serving.