The Basics of Nukazuke: Starting and Continuing.

Every year around this time, I start making nukazuke, only to repeat the cycle of the nuka bed becoming sour by autumn and having to discard it.

I began reading Nami Yamada's "The Basics of Nukazuke: Starting and Continuing," feeling particularly drawn to the "continuing" part.

Graphic-sha (graphicsha.co.jp)

I realized that in the initial stage of making the nuka bed, which is the foundation of nukazuke, I had skipped the essential preparation step of "discard pickling"—where you pickle radish or cabbage leaves for 10 days to two weeks to age the bed.
Also, when the nuka bed became too moist, the amount of "supplemental nuka" and salt I added was haphazard, and I didn't let it age for the required 2-3 days afterward.

I shouldn't blame my Virgo moon sign, but I do tend to be careless with everything and usually rely on guesswork. However, lacking experience with nukazuke, I was reminded of the importance of following a recipe properly.

To be honest, whenever I start making nukazuke, nuka ends up on the faucet and various other places, and the refrigerator starts to smell, so I always feel self-conscious because my family complains about it.

This time, I carefully measured the nuka, water, and salt according to the recipe, added kelp root, chili peppers, Japanese pepper, ginger, and garlic, put it in a zip-top bag, and then placed that inside an enameled container with a lid to manage the odor.

First, I want to pickle summer vegetables like cucumbers, eggplants, radishes, carrots, and squash.
The book also includes recipes for potatoes, celery, cauliflower, as well as boiled eggs, tofu, cheese, fish, and chicken.
I think fish and chicken are at an advanced level, so I'm not ready to try them yet, but I would like to try the tofu and boiled eggs.

Also, for beginners, there is a helpful "Nukazuke and Nuka Bed Q&A" section, so if I run into trouble while trying to continue, I think I can find solutions by checking this Q&A first.

This spring, Nami Yamada's latest book, "Meals That Balance the Body with Everyday Ingredients and Seasonings," based on fermentation and medicinal cooking, was published.
The title, "With Everyday Ingredients and Seasonings," feels approachable rather than special.
An Instagram Live event was also held to commemorate the new release.
I made two of the dishes from it at home: the savory stir-fried chicken and almonds, and the water dropwort and whitebait rice flour pancake. As expected, the recipes were well-thought-out, deep in flavor, and delicious.

Meals That Balance the Body with Everyday Ingredients and Seasonings | Natsume-sha (natsume.co.jp)

With my horoscope having Venus and Mars in Cancer in the 5th house, I have no resistance to cooking, and being a Taurus sun sign, I have a certain level of discernment regarding ingredients and taste.
I encountered macrobiotics in my 20s and attended a brown rice vegetarian cooking class, so I had a strong interest in food. Looking back, while it brings back memories, I feel embarrassed about how I was a bit of a know-it-all in my youth, and the more I obsessed over food, the more I narrowed my human relationships.

At home, we have recently started making miso and pickled plums every year, and as I feel the importance of fermented products more and more, I would like to incorporate not only nukazuke but also dishes using shio-koji into our daily lives without strain.

Earthworms emerge, Omi vegetables with shio-koji.