【Reading】おけ

【English Name】Oke (Wooden Tub)

An oke is a wooden container made by arranging strip-shaped wooden boards into a cylinder and binding them tight with hoop-shaped fittings of bamboo or metal. In the world of sushi, as the "sushi oke," it is widely known as an indispensable tool when cutting and mixing vinegared rice.

Wooden containers come in three forms: the "kuri-oke," shaped by hollowing out the interior of wood; the "mage-oke," made by bending thin boards with heat; and the "yui-oke," assembled by joining multiple boards. Of these, the yui-oke method is considered the latest-developed technique among wooden containers.

As for the difference from the often-confused "taru" (barrel), the general distinction is that a sealed structure with a lid attached is a taru, while a structure that remains open at the top is an oke. However, there are cases where the name and structure do not necessarily correspond; a miso taru, for example, is not a sealed container, so from a structural standpoint it falls within the category of oke.

While wooden oke carry the risk of bacterial growth, they have been said to have the effect of drawing out umami and aroma. After the war, when plastic and metal containers spread, the use of wooden oke declined rapidly, but in brewing and sushi settings there are still many chefs who value the unique character of wooden oke and continue to use them. In the case of the sushi oke, because the wood has the property of absorbing excess moisture, it is well suited to bringing the vinegared rice into just the right condition.