Japan: Natto
While in Koyasan, we took the opportunity to try natto. For those who haven’t heard of the almightly natto, natto is made from soybeans. The soybeans are soaked in water, steamed for several hours, and then are mixed with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto. Next, the beans are fermented for a couple of days and then aged in a refrigerator for up to one week.
As a result of fermentation and aging, the beans develop a pungent smell, similar to a strong cheese, and a sticky, glue-like consistency. Natto is commonly eaten with rice at breakfast.
Still, you don’t know whether you’ll like or dislike something until you try it – so we purchased a pack at a local convenience store. It was cheap – 100 yen for two small polystyrene packs.
We took it back to our room, and opened the lid. It didn’t look that bad. Inside the packet were a small sachet of soy sauce and mustard. We opened both packets and poured them in and started mixing. Mixing the natto produces lots of mucus like strings and the natto becomes stickier and stringier.
When we pulled some beans out of the packet, long spider web like strings of mucus followed it. It really isn’t the most attractive foodstuff out there!
The taste itself wasn’t particularly nice – the beans were quite bland and didn’t have much flavour but I thought there was an slight bitter aftertaste that I found off putting. The texture was not pleasant either, with the mucus like strings ensuring that we didn’t eat more than a couple of bites.
Natto is apparently very popular in Japan. I’m sure that, similar to other strong smelling/flavoured food, it’s just an acquired taste. However, I don’t think I’ll be taking the time to acquire it!
So next time someone suggests natto – I will be saying nattNo. No thanks!
Kat (Spatula, Spoon and Saturday)
November 18, 2009 @ 10:17 pm
eughhhhhh. im going to try it anyway though!
Adrian @ Food Rehab
November 18, 2009 @ 10:38 pm
Just going off your description, I think I'll pass. eew! hehe
But seeing it person, I may be tempted. Your pics highlight its… (lost for words)
Danny
November 19, 2009 @ 2:28 am
ooooh y'all are brave! that stuff looks pretty difficult to get through. like you said though, it's probably an acquired taste. i always feel like there's so many things out there that are acquired tastes… i wonder what made ppl eat it in the first place… whether it was out of preservation of food or whatever.
mellie
November 19, 2009 @ 7:47 am
I actually quite like it! You *must* eat it with a steaming bowl of hot rice though, which sort of mellows and sweetens the flavour somewhat.
I liken the flavour to hints of blue cheese and coffee. A weird combination, but it surprisingly works on that umami level. The mustard too is also essential.
Roel
November 19, 2009 @ 8:47 am
Thank you for not showing what I would like to call the "Natto Face". Because there was a lot of that when we were trying it!
Conor @ HoldtheBeef
November 19, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
You are brave! I think I will try it one day, but luckily I haven't had the opportunity yet. Admittedly, I haven't sought out the opportunity 😉
Agnes
November 19, 2009 @ 8:44 pm
Kat: Yes, yes, do try it! It wasn't *that* bad. Just kinda interesting.
Adrian: Hahaha, don't let me (or the pictures!!) put you off. You should try everything at least once, right?
Danny: I've often wondered how people end up eating certain things too! Who was the first person to look at stringy, sticky natto and think that it would be a good idea to eat it?
Mellie: I can see how a bowl of hot rice would make it more palatable. 😉 Can you buy natto in Melbourne?
Roel: Hahahaha, the natto face! The natto got us told off too!
Conor: I'm not brave, I'm just Chinese, I'll eat anything! Hehee!
mellie
November 19, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
Yup, you can certainly buy it Japanese Grocers and most Asian Supermarkets. You will usually find it in the frozen foods section.
FujiMart in Prahran has a great selection.
Maria@TheGourmetChallenge
November 19, 2009 @ 10:20 pm
oh my!! Bacillus Subtilis you say?? I work with that bug daily, I dont know if I could bring myself to eating it. When I first looked at the picture I thought…..hmmm that looks interesting…some sort of cheese? but now that I know what it is, I think I'll pass!
Sarah
November 20, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
Lol, I *hate* Natto! Well done for trying it, you guys are so brave!
My brother developed a taste for it when he went to Japan earlier this year and now we have packets of the stuff in our fridge, breathing through the little airholes in their packets! Yurgh.
xox Sarah
Rilsta
November 20, 2009 @ 11:56 pm
That has to be the most unappetising thing you have posted on your blog! Good on you for actually getting it into your mouth – the stringiness would have put me off!
Agnes
November 21, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
Mellie: thanks. I doubt I'll buy it again, but now I know where to point other people to. 😉
Maria: yes, Bacillus Subtilis, at least that's what the internet tells me. Hey, maybe you should get some spare bacteria and we could try natto-ing stuff with it!
Sarah: ugh, the packets need airholes?! Ick!
Rilsta: hehee, I think you're probably right about it being the most unappetising looking food I've posted on the blog.