【Reading】ぬか

【English Name】Rice bran

Nuka (bran) is a general term for the outer skin, germ, and the like produced in the process of polishing grains, and in English it is called "bran." In Japan, against the background of having long made rice a staple food, when one simply says "nuka," it often refers to rice bran.

In its connection with sushi culture, nukazuke—pickled in a nuka-doko (bran bed)—is representative. Nukazuke has been enjoyed at sushi restaurants as a palate cleanser alongside gari. Also, in the Kokura and Moji areas of Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, nukadaki (jinda-ni), in which blue-backed fish such as sardine and mackerel are simmered in nuka-miso, is known as a local dish, and is deeply tied to the food-preservation culture for fish.

Nutritionally, rice bran is rich in vitamins B1 and B6, niacin, magnesium, and so on. When rice-polishing technology advanced in the Edo period, these nutrients were removed along with the bran, and beriberi is said to have become prevalent due to a shortage of B-group vitamins.

Other uses include parboiling bamboo shoots to remove their harshness (aku), and in the past it was also used as a natural cleanser for cleaning.