Pai Huang Gua Hé Xigua or Smashed Cucumber and Watermelon is an easy, delicious, crunchy and full of umami flavour salad. First of all, I don’t think the word salad exists in the Chinese language. Usually it is referred to as a cold dish. Secondly, Pai Huang Gua originates from the Sichuan region of China. However, it is a popular dish or salad all over China. Apparently, it is a popular street food. Pai means to pat, clap or slap. Huang gum is cucumber. Hé is the conjunction ‘and’. Xigua is watermelon.
Pai Huang Gua
As I mentioned above, this dish originated from Sichuan area and is now popular all over China. Simple to make, it is one of the best cucumber salads we’ve had. They do not add watermelon to it, but that was the twist I added to include watermelon. So why did I add the watermelon? Looking for recipes beginning with the letter X or an ingredient is like looking for a needle in a haystack. When I was researching my salad dishes, xnipec salsa came up. But we don’t eat extra spicy or hot food and habanero as very hot! So the next best was to use the term “xigua” which is watermelon in the Chinese language. I often make cucumber watermelon salad during the summer. I was looking for a Chinese version of it but didn’t come up with anything except Pai Huang Gua. So, omit the watermelon and make the original or try my version. Either way, I promise you will not regret. Hubby generally, doesn’t like to have a cucumber salad, but this one he simply loved it. Have made it umpteen times. We’re into winter and he will request for Pai Huang Gua.
Sharing Pai Huang Gua Hé Xigua With 2025 Alphabet Challenge Group
Yes, we’ve reached letter X and what a tough letter to deal with. At the beginning of the year I had decided to use the Chinese word xigua. Search on Google didn’t take me any watermelon salad, Chinese style. X is for xnipec, Xacuti, xocolatl, Xavier Soup, Xiaolongbao,Xôi, Xia mi, XO sauce, Xalapa punch, xiangjiao, Xaxaba Diphaphata, ximenia, xima, Xidoufen, Xmas, etc.
For me it is X for Xigua.
Some Recipes With Letter X You May Like
MUSHROOM XACUTI
Mushroom Xacuti or Shakuti is a Goan style spicy curry. Generally, chicken is used for this Xacuti (pronounced as Shaa - ku- tee) dish. Vegetarian options are usually made with mushrooms, soya chunks or mixed vegetables. Best to make the xacuti spice mixture at home. The freshness of the spice blend adds so much flavour to the dish. Xacuti comes from the Portuguese word chacuti which means curry. The Portuguese liked the local preparation of spicy chicken and called it chacuti de galinha.
Xtra Flaky Farsi Puri is a more flakier version of the traditional farsi puri recipe. Layers are created to give it that flaky texture and it tastes so good. These Puris are normally enjoyed with some spicy masala tea.
Avocado, Bean & Mango Salad is a zesty, nutritious, filling and delicious salad bursting with colours. Like me if you are a lover of both avocado and mango then this salad is just right for you. With homemade Cilantro Dressing, we love to have this salad as a light meal. I
Barley Salad with a Greek lemony dressing is easy to make, ideal potluck salad and makes a healthy meal. Add vegetables of your choice. What I like about this salad is that it stays fresh for at least 3 days in the fridge
Chickpea Chaat Salad is a tasty, gluten free, vegan, slightly sweet, a bit spicy and tangy kind of salad. The star ingredient is boiled chickpeas. Add salad vegetables of your choice. This salad is a version of the popular Indian street food Chana Chaat.
Date Salad, Ottolenghi Style is a must try salad. The dates, sumac, chilli flakes and marinated onion adds a bright, sweet, sour and slightly spicy taste. An excellent way to use up old pita bread, enjoy this salad as a meal or side dish.
Fattoush Salad is a delicious tangy, slightly sweetish, crunchy Levantine Salad made with veggies, herbs and crispy pita. Fattoush is an ideal weight loss salad as it is low in calories, filling and flavourful.
Guava Salad, Burmese Style is full of unique flavours imparted by toasted chickpea flour, fried onion, tamarind, jaggery and the red chilli flakes. Easy to make, it can be enjoyed as a light meal if you are a guava lover like me.
GRILLED HALLOUMI SALAD AND BLACKBERRY SALAD DRESSING
Grilled Halloumi Salad is a colourful, healthy and filling Mediterranean inspired salad. Pair it with a fruity salad dressing like the blackberry one I made at home. Ideal as a summer picnic, party salad or as light meal.
Ice Apple Salad with coconut milk, mint, cucumber and a few spices is a refreshing, cooling and unique summer salad. This salad is full of nutrients and an excellent way to enjoy the superfood - ice apples or tadgola. Serve it as a starter or enjoy it as a light meal. Make sure it is served chilled.
Armenian Jajukh Salad is a refreshing, healthy, easy to make, five ingredient Cucumber and Yogurt Salad. Healthy, easy to make,cooling, refreshing and perfect for the summer season.
Kachumabari, Kenyan Salad is the easiest, most popular and a superbly delicious side dish that goes well with chicken, fish, barbecued meat (nyama choma), kebabs, tikkas, pilau, ugali, etc. It is a basic salad of tomatoes, onion, fresh coriander, lemon and a bit of chilli.
Lobia Paneer Salad is an Indian style, protein rich, healthy, filling and delicious salad. Easy to make, this black eyed beans or cow peas salad is a versatile one. Add any choice of vegetables and additional proteins to it. Enjoy it as a side dish or as a light nourishing meal.
Moong Dal Salad is a popular, protein rich, delicious and healthy South Indian style salad. Known as Kosambari, it is generally made from yellow moong dal, cucumber and coconut. A tempering of mustard seeds, green chillis and curry leaves is added to make the salad flavourful.
Crispy Noodle Salad is not only a filling nutritious light meal on its own but a dish which offers different flavours and textures. Quite easy to make, this salad is pretty versatile as you can add any ingredients that you like. Dress it up with a sweet, sour or a balanced dressing. This salad dish is inspired by the famous and popular Aussie favourite Chang's Crispy Noodle Salad. This salad can be enjoyed warm or cold. So it is perfect for both the hot and cold seasons.
Orange Avocado Salad is a colourful, refreshing, full of flavour kind of summer salad. Enjoy it as side or as a light meal. What I like about this salad is the delicious light orange dressing. And you can add other salad ingredients like radish, beans, quinoa, orzo, rice, etc. Somehow I felt that oranges and tomatoes don't go together well.
Pineapple Salad with berries, coconut, fresh mint, with a drizzle of honey and some fresh orange juice makes a refreshing summery dessert salad. Enjoy it on its own or with some vanilla ice cream.
Nectarine Quinoa Salad is a gluten free, vegan, colourful, bright, packed with flavours and textures kind of summery salad. With a homemade fresh ginger salad dressing, this is one salad you don't want to miss out on.
Rosolli, Finnish Salad is usually prepared during Christmas time. It is made of beetroot, apple, carrot, potato and onion. The dressing is fresh cream. Trust me this salad has become one of my favourite. We enjoyed as a light meal. A balance of flavours and different textures. Softness from the boiled potatoes, crunch from the carrot and beetroot, crispiness from the onion and apples
Chermoula Sweet Potato Salad is a filling, flavourful salad where sweet potato, chickpeas, couscous, tomatoes, olives and feta are mixed with Chermoula Sauce. Enjoy this delicious salad warm or cold.
Mini Taco Salad Cups make a great appetizer/starter dish for parties. Best part is that you don't need a fork. Add any salad of your choice to the taco cups.
Udon Noodle Salad, especially cold is my favourite summer time light meal. With the right amount of carbs, loaded with protein and colourful veggies, it has the right balance of flavours too. Marinated tofu, the peanut sauce or dressing, crunchiness from the veggies and come together beautifully to create an awesomely delicious light meal.
Salata De Varza Rosie is a simple and yet flavourful Romanian Red Cabbage Salad. Easy to make, basically you need only a handful of ingredients. Some red cabbage or white (then it is simply called Salata De Varza), carrot, vinegar, salt and oil.
Waldorf Salad is a creamy, crispy, filling, delish, classic salad. Enjoy it as a light meal, serve it as a starter dish or as a side for a party. The subtly sweet dressing, the crunch from the celery and crispiness of the apples makes this elegant salad a party winner.
Ingredients Required For Pai Huang Gua Hé Xigua | Smashed Cucumber & Watermelon Salad
Cucumber
Best to use English Cucumber or Persian for this recipe. We are not going to peel the cucumber | cucumbers. The ends are trimmed and then using a cleaver, chef knife or rolling pin the cucumber is smashed with a gentle force. It does split up easily. Then it is cut into bite size pieces so that it is easier to eat the salad.
Spring Onion
Also known as scallion. Take 1-2 stalks depending on how thin or thick it is. Chop both the white and green parts finely.
Watermelon
We need about ½ cup small cubes of watermelon.
Salt
Add according to your taste. Remember the soy sauce is a bit salty. Use any salt of your choice.
Peanuts
Roasted and chopped roughly. Adds a bit more crunch to the salad.
Sesame Seeds
I have used a mixture of black and white sesame seeds. Use any you have in your pantry. I like to toast them a bit. Can toast them in a small wide pan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 1 to 1½ minutes.
Sesame Oil
Adds a lovely subtle nutty, smoky flavour. If you don’t have any, use any neutral flavoured oil.
Vinegar
Generally, Chinese black vinegar is used for this recipe. However, go for any vinegar you have in your pantry. The nearest to the black vinegar flavour wise would be malt vinegar. I had neither so used rice vinegar.
Garlic
A little as you don’t the flavour of garlic to overpower the other flavours. Peel and finely chop or mince. I prefer to mince.
Soy Sauce
Dark or light soy sauce.
Sugar
Don’t skip the sugar… trust me it seriously balances all the flavours.
Chilli Oil
Use homemade or ready made. I have used ready made chilli oil or chilli crisp. Add according to your taste. Some chilli oils tend to be pretty hot so add a little initially. Can always drizzle a bit more on top.
Fresh Coriander
For this recipe we will be using only the leaves. Don’t throw away the stalks. Use it up in your soup, stew, curry or to make a green chutney.
Note:
If you are not serving the salad immediately, then don’t add the smashed cucumber and watermelon. I left my salad for 10 minutes and there was a pool of the dressing. Add them just before serving.
PAI HUANG GUA HÉ XIGUA |SMASHED CUCUMBER & WATERMELON SALAD
mayurisjikoni
Pai Huang Gua Hé Xigua or Smashed Cucumber and Watermelon is an easy, delicious, crunchy and full of umami flavour salad.
Just in case we haven’t met before I’m Mayuri Patel from the coastal sunny town of Mombasa. In fact more of a global citizen now as I spend time between Canada and India. I’m the creator and writer of Mayuri’s Jikoni. Jikoni is kitchen in Kiswahili. Love cooking up a storm in my jikoni. When I’m not in the jikoni then you may find me reading fiction books, watching romantic movies, listening to Bollywood songs or enjoying God’s creation, nature. If my recipes can inspire you to cook at home then my job is done here. Cook up a storm in your kitchen with easy to follow vegetarian recipes right from soups to desserts.
The addition of watermelon is genius, Mayuri! Watermelon cucumber salad is one of my summer favorites and I can’t wait to try your Chinese version. Delicious!
My youngest adores cucumber and I have a video bookmarked with four different smashed cucumber salads to try out. I will have to add this one to the list!
If links are allowed in comments then here is the video, and it was actually five salads! https://youtu.be/ADEwuKPII5E
If links don’t show, then it is Sheldo’s Kitchen on youtube, which is a totally wholesome little cooking channel.
Wow! Another great salad. And I love that you smashed the cucumbers…allowing all of that great flavor to get all up in them! As soon as I have some cucumbers…I’m definitely going to give this salad a go!
13 Comments
Wendy Klik
November 19, 2025 at 6:41 am
I love the idea of adding watermelon to this cucumber salad. What a great summertime treat.
mayurisjikoni
November 19, 2025 at 11:40 pm
Thank you so much Wendy.
Rotisserie Chicken Xavier Soup with Fennel
November 19, 2025 at 12:03 pm
[…] Pai Huang Gua Hé Xigua by Mayuri’s Jikoni […]
Karen’s Kitchen Stories
November 19, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Beautiful colors. I’m totally impressed that you were able to make a salad with the letter X.
mayurisjikoni
November 19, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Thanks Karen. Google and Ai now opens up a whole new world of languages 🙂
Stacy
November 19, 2025 at 2:25 pm
The addition of watermelon is genius, Mayuri! Watermelon cucumber salad is one of my summer favorites and I can’t wait to try your Chinese version. Delicious!
mayurisjikoni
November 19, 2025 at 11:38 pm
Thank you Stacy, initially was not sure how watermelon would pair with soy sauce.. but it tasted really good. Enjoy when you try out the salad.
hobby baker Kelly
November 19, 2025 at 5:58 pm
My youngest adores cucumber and I have a video bookmarked with four different smashed cucumber salads to try out. I will have to add this one to the list!
mayurisjikoni
November 19, 2025 at 11:37 pm
Wow Kelly, 4 different types. I too would love to try them out. Am sure your youngest will enjoy this Asian style smashed cucumber.
hobby baker Kelly
November 21, 2025 at 1:11 am
If links are allowed in comments then here is the video, and it was actually five salads!
https://youtu.be/ADEwuKPII5E
If links don’t show, then it is Sheldo’s Kitchen on youtube, which is a totally wholesome little cooking channel.
mayurisjikoni
November 23, 2025 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Kelly.
Colleen – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
November 21, 2025 at 11:27 am
Wow! Another great salad. And I love that you smashed the cucumbers…allowing all of that great flavor to get all up in them! As soon as I have some cucumbers…I’m definitely going to give this salad a go!
mayurisjikoni
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 pm
Thank you so much Colleen. The flavours definitely go right in and the best part is that it gets ready in 5 mins.