Nukazuke

Toast the rice bran in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes until golden and fragrant (nutty, not burnt). Cool completely. Dissolve the salt in warm water. In a large, deep, non-reactive container (ceramic crock, enamel pot, or food-grade plastic tub), combine the cooled toasted bran with the salted water. Mix thoroughly with clean hands until it resembles damp sand that holds together when pressed. Bury the kombu, dried chilis, and dried shiitake in the bed. The nukadoko (bran bed) should be moist throughout but not wet or sloshy.

For the first 7 days, the nukadoko must be conditioned to establish a healthy microbial culture. Twice daily (morning and evening), mix the entire bed with clean hands from the bottom up, burying the surface into the center and turning the bed completely. This aerates the bed, prevents harmful anaerobic bacteria, and distributes the cultures evenly. Bury kitchen vegetable scraps (carrot tops, cabbage leaves, cucumber peels — whatever you have) each day to feed the developing cultures. After each mixing, press the bed smooth. Keep the container at 18-25°C. The bed is ready to use when it smells pleasantly funky and slightly sour — not off-putting, but alive.

Rub the vegetables lightly with the extra salt before burying — this removes surface moisture and helps them absorb the nuka flavors faster. For cucumbers: leave whole or halve. For carrots and daikon: cut into sticks. For eggplant: halve, cut slashes across the flesh. Bury the vegetables completely in the nukadoko, pressing the bed back smooth over them. Mark the position of buried vegetables. Store at 18-22°C or refrigerate (pickling will be slower but more controlled in the refrigerator). Mix the bed twice daily even when vegetables are buried.

Pickling times vary by vegetable and temperature: cucumbers at room temperature, 12-24 hours; carrots and daikon, 24-48 hours; eggplant, 12-18 hours. At refrigerator temperature, multiply times by 2-3. Remove the vegetables, scrape off the nuka bed (return it to the container), rinse or wipe the vegetables gently with a damp cloth, and slice to serve. The bed should be mixed thoroughly after each use. Continue the twice-daily mixing of the nukadoko indefinitely — a maintained bed improves over months and years.