[A Must-See for Busy People] I Started a Fermented Life with One More Dish Using Muji's Rice Bran that Only Needs Stirring Once a Week

Muji's "Fermented Rice Bran" doesn't require daily stirring. Although I wasn't confident in continuing the care for the rice bran, it seems I can enjoy a fermented life by just moving my hands on the weekends, so I tried enjoying the change at the dinner table.

I didn’t feel like I could keep mixing the nuka bed every day, so

on weekdays I was busy with work, and before I knew it, I had been having convenience store bento and dining out for dinner. In the morning, I was barely managing to get ready, and by the time I got home, I had no energy left to stand in the kitchen. But somewhere in my heart, I had a longing for a life where I cooked with my own hands.

Then, I thought I might try making nukazuke. Although I had been interested in it for a while, I had the impression that I needed to mix it every day, and I didn’t feel like I could keep it up. I often leave home for a few days for travel or business trips, and I was also worried about “forgetting to mix it and ruining it,” which is why I hadn’t tried it so far.

However, I noticed that the Muji "Fermented Nuka Bed" doesn’t require daily mixing. I thought that if it’s like this, I might be able to handle it, so I decided to buy it and give it a try.

On Sunday night, after cutting the vegetables and putting them in, the preparation was complete

When I read the instructions and tried it, it was surprisingly easy, much simpler than I expected. On Sunday night, I washed the daikon, carrot, and three cucumbers that I had at home, peeled them thinly, put them in a bag, and stored them in the refrigerator. That’s all there is to it.

I found that the time spent peeling vegetables isn't as bad as I thought.

The next day, even when I looked at the bag of fermented rice bran, I didn't really do anything special; I just thought, "Oh, there's that bag," every time I opened the fridge. I had no pressure to mix it, so I could leave it alone even during a busy week. Rather, I was a bit surprised that the state of "not having to do anything" could relieve my mind so much. On days when I came home late from work, I completely forgot about the bag.

When I took it out, the vegetables were indeed "pickled."

The back of the bag indicated that vegetables would be pickled in approximately 12 to 32 hours, depending on the type.

When I opened the bag based on that timing, the vegetables had a thick layer of rice bran on the surface, and honestly, I was half in doubt wondering, "Are they really pickled?"

When I pick up the nuka, a cool sensation accompanies the faintly sour aroma of fermentation.

When I lightly rinse it with water, shiny green hues and the colors of radish and carrots emerge.

When I slice it into rounds, I notice that just inside the skin is gently colored, and from the cross-section alone, I can tell that it has properly fermented. Tasting it, the cucumber has a crisp texture on the outside, layered with distinct sourness and saltiness. The radish and carrot also have a gentle fermented flavor, surprising me with a taste far more authentic than I had imagined.

The weekday dining table has gained a slight sense of satisfaction.

The most significant change since starting this nuka pickling life is that when I place nuka pickles in a small dish alongside white rice and soup, the table has transformed into a simple yet calming setting. Without doing anything special, just taking it out of the bag, cutting it, and serving it on a plate has added a touch of satisfaction to the usual dining table. Even on busy weekdays, the presence of a dish that makes me think, “Today it’s okay because I have this,” has increased, bringing a sense of satisfaction I hadn’t imagined before starting.

On another day, I felt that the simple menu of just chicken and rice was lacking something, so I decided to add a piece of pickled vegetables. Just with this, I was able to have a palate cleanser, and it added a pleasant contrast in flavor that significantly increased the satisfaction at the dinner table. I feel that being able to easily use something that's just sitting in the fridge for this kind of "extra dish" contributes to the ease of continuing this habit.

For busy people, it's worth trying out an easy pickled vegetable life

In my case, it only takes a few minutes of my time on Sunday nights. Just this is enough to create a sense of ease for the dining table for the next week. The fact that I don't need to stir it every day lowers the barrier to continuing a pickled vegetable life significantly. Since it's sustainable, I think I'll continue to do the weekend only maintenance while changing the vegetables for a while.

Product Name / Fermented Rice Bran
Price / 890 yen
Expiry Date / 240 days from the date of manufacture
Weight / 1 kg
● Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.

Interview and Text / SYURI

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