1.
rice bran
The powdery outer layer removed when brown rice is milled into white rice. Used in Japanese kitchens for pickling, for removing bitterness from wild vegetables, and for cleaning.
米 (rice) + ぬか (bran). Often written simply ぬか when the context is clear, as in ぬか漬け.
Common collocations
- ぬか漬け: vegetables pickled in a rice-bran bed
- ぬか床: the fermented rice-bran bed used for pickling
- 米ぬかで灰汁抜きする: to remove harshness using rice bran
- 米ぬか油: rice bran oil
Cultural note: a ぬか床 is fed and stirred daily and can be kept going for years, sometimes passed down within a family.