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Natto is typically eaten on rice

Natto (???? or ??, Natto^?) is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, popular especially for breakfast. As a rich source of protein, natto and the soybean paste miso formed a vital source of nutrition in feudal Japan. For some, natto can be an acquired taste due to its powerful smell, strong flavor, and sticky consistency. In Japan natto is most popular in the eastern regions, including Kanto, Tohoku, and Hokkaido.

History

The materials and tools needed to produce natto (soybeans and straw) were commonly available in Japan since ancient times, so the discovery could have happened as early as the Jomon period. It is also possible that the product was discovered independently by numerous people at different times. The sources differ about the earliest origin of natto. One source puts the first use of natto in the Jomon period between 10,000 and 300 BC. According to other sources the product may have originated in China during the Zhou Dynasty (1134 - 246 BC). Another story is that Minamoto no Yoshiie was on a battle campaign in northeastern Japan between 1086 and 1088 when one day in 1083 they were attacked while boiling soybeans for their horses. They hurriedly packed up the beans, and did not open the straw bags until a few days later, by which time the beans had fermented. The soldiers ate it anyway, and liked the taste, so they offered some to Yoshiie, who also liked the taste. A third source places the origin of natto more recently, in the Edo period (1603 to 1867).^{[citation needed]}

One significant change in the production of natto happened in the Taisho period (1912 - 1926), when researchers discovered a way to produce a natto starter culture containing Bacillus natto without the need for straw. This greatly simplified the production process and permitted more consistent results.

Appearance and consumption

The first thing noticed by the uninitiated after opening a pack of natto is the very strong ammoniacal smell, akin to strong cheese. Stirring the natto produces lots of spiderweb-like strings. The natto itself has a nutty, savory, somewhat salty flavor that belies its odor.

Natto is most commonly eaten at breakfast to accompany rice, possibly with some other ingredients, for example soy sauce, tsuyu broth, mustard, scallions, grated daikon, okra, or a raw quail egg. In Hokkaido and northern Tohoku region, some people dust natto with sugar. Natto is also commonly used in other foods, such as natto sushi, natto toast, in miso soup, salad, as an ingredient in okonomiyaki, or even with spaghetti or as fried natto. A dried form of natto, having little odor or sliminess, can be eaten as a nutritious snack. There is even natto ice cream.

Natto is often considered an acquired taste and the perceived flavor of natto can differ greatly between people; some find it tastes very strong and cheesy and may use it in small amounts to flavor rice or noodles, while others find it tastes "bland and unremarkable", requiring the addition of flavoring condiments such as mustard and soy sauce. Many non-Japanese find the taste very unpleasant, while others relish it as a delicacy. Some manufacturers produce an odorless or low-odor natto. The split opinion about its appearance and taste might be compared to Vegemite in Australia and New Zealand, blue cheese in France, lutefisk in Norway and Sweden, Mämmi in Finland and Marmite in the UK. Even in Japan, natto is more popular in some areas than in others. Natto is known to be popular in the eastern Kanto region (Tokyo), but less popular in Kansai (Osaka, Kobe). About 236,000 tons of natto are consumed in Japan each year.

Production process

Soybeans in a plantation

Natto is made from soybeans, typically a special type called natto soybeans. Smaller beans are preferred, as the fermentation process will be able to reach the center of the bean more easily. The beans are washed and soaked in water for 12 to 20 hours. This will increase the size of the beans. Next, the soybeans are steamed for 6 hours, although a pressure cooker can be used to reduce the time. The beans are mixed with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto, known as natto-kin in Japanese. From this point on, care has to be taken to keep the ingredients away from impurities and other bacteria. The mixture is fermented at 40°C for up to 24 hours. Afterwards the natto is cooled, then aged in a refrigerator for up to one week to add stringiness. During the aging process at a temperature of about 0°C, the Bacilli develop spores, and enzymatic peptidases break down the soybean protein into its constituent amino acids.

Historically, natto was made by storing the steamed soy beans in rice straw, which naturally contains B. subtilis natto. The soy beans were packed in straw and then left to ferment. The fermentation was done either while the beans were buried underground underneath a fire or stored in a warm place in the house as for example under the kotatsu.

End product

Today's natto

Today's mass-produced natto is usually sold in small polystyrene containers. A typical package contains 2 or 3 containers, occasionally 4 containers, each of 40 to 50 g. One container typically complements a small bowl of rice. It usually includes a small packet of tsuyu and another packet of karashi, a type of mustard. Other flavors of sauce, such as shiso, are available.

Mito City and Kumamoto Prefecture are famous as natto-producing districts.

Outside of Japan, natto is sometimes sold frozen, and must be thawed before consumption.

Medical benefits

It is often said in Japan that natto is good for one's health, and these claims can be backed by medical research. One example is Pyrazine contained within natto. Pyrazine is a compound which, in addition to giving natto its distinct smell, reduces the likelihood of blood clotting. It also contains a serine protease type enzyme called nattokinase^[1] which may also reduce blood clotting both by direct fibrinolysis of clots, and inhibition of the plasma protein plasminogen activator inhibitor 1. This may help to avoid thrombosis, as for example in heart attacks, pulmonary embolism, or strokes. An extract from natto containing nattokinase is available as a dietary supplement. Studies have shown that oral administration of nattokinase in enteric capsules leads to a mild enhancement of fibrinolytic activity in rats^[2] and dogs. It is therefore plausible to hypothesize that nattokinase might reduce blood clots in humans, although clinical trials have not been conducted. Another study suggests the FAS in natto is the substance which initiates fibrinolysis of clots, which accelerates the activity of not only nattokinase but urokinase.^[3]

Natto also contains large amounts of Vitamin K, which is involved in the formation of calcium-binding groups in proteins, assisting the formation of bone, and preventing osteoporosis. Vitamin K1 is found naturally in seaweed, liver and some vegetables, while vitamin K2 is found in fermented food products such as cheese and miso. Natto has very large amounts of vitamin K2, approximately 870 micrograms per 100 grams of natto.

According to a study fermented soybeans, such as natto, contains Vitamin PQQ, which is very important for the skin.^[4] PQQ existing in human tissues is derived mainly from diet.

According to the recent studies, polyamine suppresses excessive immune reactions, and natto contains a much larger amount of it than any other food.^[5] Dietary supplements containing the substances extracted from natto such as polyamine, nattokinase, FAS and vitamin K2 are available.

Natto also contains many chemicals alleged to prevent cancer, as for example daidzein, genistein, isoflavone, phytoestrogen, and the chemical element selenium. However, most of these chemicals can also be found in other soy bean products, and their effect on cancer prevention is uncertain at best. Recent studies show natto may have a cholesterol-lowering effect.^[6]

Natto is also said to have an antibiotic effect, and its use as medicine against dysentery was researched by the Imperial Japanese Navy before World War II.^[7]

Natto is claimed to prevent obesity, possibly due to a low calorie content of approximately 90 calories per 7-8 grams of protein in an average serving. Unverified claims include improved digestion, reduced effects of aging, and the reversal of hair loss in men due to its phytoestrogen content, which can lower testosterone that can cause baldness. These conjectured physiological effects of eating natto are based on biochemically active contents of natto, and have not been confirmed by human study.

Natto is also sometimes used as an ingredient of pet food, and it is claimed that this improves the health of the pets.^[8]

Gallery

A natto legend in a supermarket helps to differentiate varieties of bean

Natto is marketed in many ways: This packet includes collagen

See also

• Japanese cuisine

Other fermented soy foods include soy sauce, Japanese miso, Chinese dòuchi (fermented black beans) and chòu dòufu (stinky tofu), Korean doenjang and cheonggukjang, and Indonesian tempeh.

Note that amanatto is not natto but, rather, beans sweetened with sugar.

References

See also

• Fermented bean paste

External links

• The Natto Project
• Natto Foods & Restaurants
• Steve describes his experience eating Natto
• Nattoland
• Natto for Everybody Homepage
• Nutrition facts of natto
• A video demonstrating how to consume natto
• Goku Kotsubu Mini 3-Inch Natto (dietfacts.com)
• Natto and Other "Neba-Neba" Foods
• Natto, A Japanese Food Delicacy

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