Nukazuke

Nukazuke (糠漬け) is a type of traditional Japanese preserved food, made by fermenting vegetables in rice bran (nuka), developed in the 17th century. Almost any vegetable may be preserved using this technique, although some common varieties include celery, eggplants, daikon, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. The taste of nukazuke can vary from pleasantly tangy to very sour, salty and pungent, depending on the methods and recipe used or region, usually with a crispy, crunchy texture. Less common are fish nukazuke, found in the north part of Japan, using sardine, mackerel, puffer fish roe, or Japanese horse mackerel. Pickles are an important part of Japanese diet, often eaten at the end of a meal and are said to aid in digestion. The lactic acid bacteria in nukazuke are probiotics that aid the intestinal flora. These bacteria are also responsible for producing folate and vitamin B12 in nukazuke. Further, since nukazuke absorb nutrients from the rice bran, they are high in vitamin B1, which helped prevent beri-beri in 17th century Edo (present-day Tokyo). Traditionally, Japanese cedar tubs (oke) were used for fermenting pickles; today, ceramic or plastic containers are more common.