Living in San Diego, there are often church picnics to attend.

Since the weather is so nice, we set up in the park, where kids run around and adults each bring different dishes.

However, the competition for food on these days can be surprisingly fierce. The table quickly fills up with bulgogi, japchae, kimbap, fruits, and sandwiches.

I was also pondering what to bring, and this time I decided to make something a bit different: cucumber tuna kimbap.

While I usually prefer the classic kimbap with pickled radish, egg, carrots, and spinach, I wondered if people would eat it with so much pickled cabbage and cucumber.

But the result was completely the opposite. As soon as I sliced the kimbap and placed it on a plate, people started asking what it was.

With the filling almost entirely packed with cucumber, it looks refreshing right from the start.

Especially on a sunny day in San Diego, eating it outdoors makes the green cucumber feel even more refreshing.

The method of making it is simpler than expected. I spread a little less rice than usual for kimbap.

If there's too much rice, the crunchy taste of the cucumber gets lost.

On top of that, I generously added finely sliced cucumber, along with drained tuna and pickled cabbage.

The pickled cabbage is very important.

If you only add cucumber and tuna, it can be bland, but the pickled cabbage adds just the right amount of sourness and umami.

The savory taste of the tuna, the tangy flavor of the pickled cabbage, and the crunchy texture of the cucumber all come together surprisingly well.

I didn't mix too much mayonnaise with the tuna.

If you add too much, it makes the flavor heavy and takes away the refreshing feeling from the cucumber.

Just a hint of nuttiness was perfect.

I spread the rice thinly on the seaweed, piled on the cucumber, tuna, and pickled cabbage generously, and then rolled it up.

At first, I was worried that there was too much cucumber and whether it would roll properly, but as I pressed it tightly, it turned out quite well.

Usually, kimbap is a common food at church picnics, so there are often a few pieces left at the end.

But this time, as people tasted it one by one, they came back for more.

"This has a lot of cucumber, but why is it so delicious?"

Someone next to me asked what I put inside, saying they would try making it at home. It was especially well-received by the adults rather than the kids.

In the end, the kimbap I brought ran out much faster than I expected.

I don't think I'll need to think about it this time.