Pickling is one of the oldest methods of preserving the flavor and nutrients of fresh vegetables. In Japan, pickles (tsukemono) are classified by the main ingredient, the pickling medium and the length of pickling. Most pickles are vegetables but sometimes meats and fish are used. The pickling medium can be vinegar, salt, sake lees, miso or rice bran. Some vegetables, like the cucumber, may be quickly pickled in just 30 minutes (asazuke) while some items are left to mellow for much longer (furuzuke).

The most common vegetable pickled in Japan is the daikon. It is generally pickled in rice bran — nuka, the byproduct of polishing rice — for a few days to several months (to produce a true takuan). Most households in the countryside still maintain their own nuka pickle pots, called nukatoko. Special buckets, lids and weights are sold just for this method of pickling.

The simplest Japanese meal — ichiju issai — consists of a bowl of hot white rice, one soup and one vegetable, generally a pickled daikon. Adding more courses and side dishes creates variations on this simple theme, but the core elements, especially the daikon pickle, remain the anchor of the meal. For the adventurous, maintaining a pickle pot can raise a cooking hobby into a flat-out gastronomic obsession.

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Daikon no nukazuke

The ingredients are simple and the concept basic: Rice bran, salt and water are left to age, but not ferment, then used to pickle and preserve fresh vegetables. A good nukatoko container only needs to be made once and then maintained. A daughter may take some of her mother's nukatoko when she marries rather than starting from scratch on her own. Once a good nukatoko is prepared, the pickle pot must be aerated daily by turning the contents. If this is neglected, mold will form and the whole process will be ruined.

In times past, when refrigeration was not available, this was especially true. Nowadays, tightly covering the pot and refrigerating it will prevent the nukatoko from spoiling when it is not possible to rotate it for a couple of days. But, just like caring for a new puppy, as a rule a nukatoko must be looked after everyday. (There was a time when, if a housewife was going to be away for more than a day or two, she would entrust her pickle pot to a neighbor.) In any case, with the responsibility of caring for the pickle pot comes the satisfaction of carrying on the age-old tradition of homemade pickles.

I was taught to roast the nuka before making a new nukatoko or adding it to an established pot. The logic behind the roasting is twofold: First, the nutty flavor of the roasting complements the pickles and, second, heating the rice bran effectively sterilizes it, reducing the chance of unwanted mold or cultures from forming. The addition of small hot chili peppers (taka no tsume or togarashi) and the fresh berries of the sansho (mountain pepper) tree perform a similar function, inhibiting the growth of unwanted bacteria.

The actual preservative element in a nukatoko is the salt — if the pot does not contain enough of the mineral, the vegetables being pickled will spoil and ruin the base. If the nuka volume needs to be increased, a good rule is 10 parts rice bran to one part salt, kneaded with a bit of water, depending on the consistency of the nukatoko.

In addition to daikon, cucumbers, eggplant and Chinese cabbage are common nukazukemono. To pickle most vegetables, wash and dry them, trim the stem, then rub with a small amount of salt and soak in the nukatoko for four to 12 hours in the summer and twice that time in the winter. Pick vegetables that are firm, very fresh and unblemished. If there is room in the pot, small daikon may be pickled with the leaves left on. You may obtain rice bran — often for free — from any good rice shop.

2 kg nuka
250 grams coarse salt (arajio)
7 cups water (1,400 ml)
30 grams konbu (kelp)
4 small togarashi
2 tablespoons sansho berries, fresh (optional)
daikon leaves and vegetable trimmings (to be discarded after pickling)

1) Over a very low flame, roast the rice bran in a large dry pan, moving it constantly. When the color is golden, remove to newspaper to cool completely before continuing.

2) Combine nuka, salt, konbu (cut into 5-cm lengths), chilies and sansho in the pot you have chosen for your nukatoko. Add water slowly, kneading until combined.

3) When water has been fully incorporated and there are no dry spots or clumps, bury the daikon leaves and other clean vegetable trimmings in the nuka.

4) Turn the nuka twice a day for three days, and then remove the leaves and scraps and discard. Your pot is ready for pickling.

5) When pickling, keep a lid (otoshibuta) directly on the surface of the nukatoko and a weight (omoishi) on top of that. Cover the entire pot with a clean towel so the nuka can breath, and store in a cool, dark place (if stored under the sink, make sure that no water leaks into the nukatoko).