Organic Matured Nuka Bed - 1kg
'NukaDoko' (糠床) is where the 'NukaZuke pickles' are fermented. It is a mixture of rice bran, salt and water but overtime this nuka bed develops a complex flavor and umami which elevate ordinary vegetables into NukaZuke pickles that are one-of-a-kind in texture and flavor.
Too occupied by your schedule to mature your NukaDoko? Not to worry! Add our matured NukaDoko to your nuka bed and your fermentation immediately catches up with the speed!
What is Nuka?
Nuka, also known as rice bran, is the hard outer skin of the rice grains that is removed when polishing brown rice to make white rice. It is gluten-free unlike the traditional wheat bran and contains a high nutritional value. Typically used in Japanese cooking to make dishes such as fermented pickles namely NukaZuke.
What is NukaZuke?
NukaZuke are a type of Japanese pickle made by fermenting vegetables in Nuka. Almost any edible vegetable such as eggplant, daikon, cabbage, and cucumber, may be pickled using this rice bran. Throw in your choice of garden harvests! Culturally-speaking, many Japanese households have their own NukaZuke crocks, in which the magic happens with all the fermentation!
What Does NukaZuke Taste Like?
NukaZuke pickles can be tangy to very sour that comes with a salty pungent taste. The texture is quite crunchy so people love to add this dish to their meals for that extra crispiness! Not crispy like a chip in a bag but it obtains a hard-to-break flexibility and you can almost hear yourself munching on them! They are often eaten at the end as they are said to aid digestion. The lactobacillus in NukaZuke pickles contains tons of good probiotics which can supplement the growth of healthy intestinal flora.
How to use a Matured Nuke Bed?
1. Prepare 200 - 300g of vegetables that you want to pickle. We recommend to use cucumbers for beginners to start your NukaZuke pickle journey. Wash, pat dry and remove the tip of the cucumber.
2. Prepare a 1cm layer of nuka bed in your pickling container and place the vegetables on top. Pack the remaining matured nuka bed on top of the vegetables and clean the sides of the container.
3. Cover the container with a lid and place this in the refrigerator. Ferment for 24 hours in the fridge. You can let everthing ferment up to 1 week for stronger flavors. Remember to mix the nuka with your hand every day so that the yeast and bacteria can become active to prevent the nuka bed from molding.
4. To serve the NukaZuke pickle, dig out the pickles form the nuka bed and rinse off the excess nuka off the pickles. Slice and serve!
Learn how to ferment your own NukaZuke treasures with Shima Shimizu: Traditional NukaZuke Fermentation Class!
