Frozen Natto

Strong smelling, sticky, fermented soybeans mixed with a form of soil dwelling bacterium. Usually this is not the way you’d want to describe any kind of food. Bad as these properties may sound, oddly enough the combination forms a rather unique and rather healthy food that hails from Japan. I’m of course referring to none other than the famous (or infamous) NATTO.

Natto certainly qualifies for the “Who was crazy enough to make and/or eat this first” category of the culinary world. The origins of this food, widely considered an “acquired taste”, are somewhat shrouded. Some accounts tell of the famous Japanese samurai Minamoto no Yoshiie and a battle where his force was attacked while they were boiling soybeans to eat. His men packed up all their supplies, soybeans and all, inside of straw bags. A few days later Minamoto’s men opened their bags to find that the soybeans had fermented. Despite the pungent smell and the stickiness of what they had found, they decided to eat it anyway and ended up liking the taste.

Other natto origin stories tell of it being created in China. Still others claim that natto has existed since 500 B.C.!

Regardless of the origins of this sticky food, natto as we know it today is a very distinctly Japanese food. Unlike the days of old where you might accidentally find yourself with a straw bag full of accidental natto, these fermented soybeans are commonly found in Asian supermarkets worldwide. In stores you’ll most commonly find it frozen into small blocks as pictured above.

In Japan natto serves as a very popular breakfast item. The small frozen blocks are normally thawed and then mixed together with a variety of ingredients. The most common ingredients mixed in with natto are green onions, shoyu, and hot mustard. Some will add things like tsuyu broth or eggs to their natto mixture. These natto mixes are usually eaten over hot white rice.

Thawed & Prepared Natto

Natto is also used as an ingredient inside of other foods such as omelets. Here in Hawaii you might find natto in sushi or mixed with your favorite poke.

No matter how you prefer your natto, you can rest assured that you are enjoying a healthy food with each fermented bean. Very high in protein compared to level of calories, natto has several healthy properties. The compound found in natto that gives it that strong smell has been found to help prevent blood clotting. Natto is also claimed to contain substances that help to fight cancer. Several studies have also shown natto to have both antibiotic and cholesteral lowering effects when eaten regularly.

Personally I find that very few people enjoy natto, and even fewer enjoy it as much as I do. Most are reluctant to try at all because they can’t get over the smell. If prepared right the ingredients used in natto mixes can help to cut down on the pungent ammonia-like smell of natto, making it more bearable for first time eaters. No matter your stance on the edible status of natto, there is no doubting that it is a unique and interesting food.

Natto mixture over hot rice