Potato salad, Japanese style

Rice vinegar is switched out for Apple cider vinegar.

Ham slices are switched out for bacon.

Potatoes are a Central American thing.

Chiles are a Central American thing.

Apple cider vinegar is an American thing.

Smoked cured bacon is an American thing.

Carrots are a Persian thing.

One day I was wiping apple cider vinegar on my eyebrows and chin to eliminate eyebrow and beard skin flaking and some of it went onto my lips and I tasted it directly and realized, "Hey! This stuff is actually sweet." I did not know that. It's actually sweeter than rice vinegar, which is rather light.

It changed my attitude.

I do not think Japanese appreciate the glory of American bacon and I do not think that they know about apple cider vinegar because they use so much rice vinegar instead.

This is outstanding bacon and the grease that it renders is excellently flavored and perfect for salad oil. This is diluted a bit with mayonnaise.

The vinegar is mixed with sugar and heated to dissolve. The potatoes and carrots are drained in a sieve. When they are combined with the bacon and its oil they are left to absorb it all. 

While the cucumbers are salted to release their water along with the diced onion to release its sulfides. A lot of water comes out of them. Their cellular structure damaged. Rinsed to remove the salt, then dried in paper towel. 

This prevents them leaking into the potato salad. And it prevents the onions from taking over the whole thing. 

Chemistry!

This is so good. So much better than the regular American picnic potato salad that I grew up with and knew. I could eat this all day. Such intriguing flavor and textural sensations. 

What we have here is yet another sweet/sour base with spikes of various flavor intensities, smokiness of excellent bacon, jalapeño pepper and fruitiness of apple cider vinegar. It's wild and lively and exciting, nothing at all like the Pennsylvania Dutch version, nothing against that. I can see adding an apple. I might do that.