Whether you love or hate it, fermented soybeans, AKA natto is one of the healthiest foods in Japanese cuisine. Learn more about this Japanese superfood.
Nattō (なっとう・納豆) is a traditional Japanese food made of fermented soybeans. It is usually served over rice mixed with green onions, soy sauce, and karashi mustard. It’s most commonly eaten for breakfast over a bowl of rice in an ichiju sansai meal.
Table of contents
What Is Natto?
Natto is boiled soybeans inoculated with Bacillus subtilis. It’s a Japanese superfood that’s packed with nutrients. It’s a divisive food; the pungent smell, stringy strands, and slimy texture similar to okra may put some people off. Thus, it is an acquired taste even for the Japanese. It’s eaten mainly in Kanto (Tokyo region), Tohoku (northern Japan), and Hokkaido.
Nowadays, you will see packs of natto sold in styrofoam packages. Initially, it was made by fermenting the soybeans in rice straw or paper-thin sheets of pine bark, which naturally contained the bacteria. You can also make it with a natto starter culture/natto spores.
The Japanese eat natto as is, over rice, mixing it with pasta for Wafu pasta, adding it to miso soup, wrapping it with rice and seaweed for natto maki, or even over toast! Babies in Japan are also given spoonfuls of it to build appreciation for it later in life.
What Does It Taste Like
It has a sticky, slimy texture, a pungent odor like runny cheese, and a nutty bean-y flavor.
Varieties
Hikiwari Natto (ひきわり納豆)
Hikiwari natto is chopped natto. It’s made by cracking and milling the soybeans, removing the skin, then fermenting.
The texture differs from the whole bean and is easier to eat in sushi rolls. It also has a milder taste. Hikiwari natto may be easier to introduce to babies and toddlers as it’s easier to digest. There’s no difference in protein and fiber content, but it’s slightly higher in vitamin K than the regular kind.
Ootsubu natto (大粒納豆)
Featuring bigger soybeans, it has a more pungent taste and texture.
How To Use
Stir the contents well once you open the package, like whipping eggs. Stirring it incorporates air, which makes it fluffy and airy. It also boosts the umami content, releasing the glutamate in the culture. Some die-hard enthusiasts recommend stirring it up to 400 times! It’ll result in a highly sticky texture, neba neba (ネバネバ) in Japanese.
Typically, the Japanese eat natto by flavoring it with the accompanying packs of dashi sauce and karashi. You can top it over rice to make it easier to pick up with chopsticks.
Other recipes include natto wafu pasta, Japanese-style pasta. If the sticky texture seems challenging, try adding it to miso soup. It’ll tone down the smell and sliminess.
Natto Mix-in Ideas
If plain natto is a challenge, try adding these mix-ins. Not only will they boost the flavor, color, and umami, but they may help mask the smell and texture.
- Chopped kimchi
- Tsukemono
- Scallions
- Poached or raw egg
- Other similarly slimy ingredients, such as okra and nagaimo
- Seaweed such as shredded nori or aonori
- Umeboshi or neri-ume
- Cubed avocado
- Black pepper and salt
Where To Buy
Find it in the refrigerator or freezer section of the Japanese or Asian grocery store.
How To Choose The Best
Depending on your grocery store selection, you may be able to find natto made of organic beans or grown in Japan. Most are made of soybeans grown outside of Japan, such as in Brazil, the U.S., or Canada, then produced in Japan.
If you don’t like the seasoning sauce that comes with the package (which usually contains artificial sweeteners and MSG), you can use dashi soy sauce or regular soy sauce.
How To Store
Always keep natto in the fridge. You can also freeze the packets for later.
Health Benefits
Even if you feel squeamish about the texture and smell, perhaps you’ll reconsider it once you hear about all the fantastic health benefits! Like tofu, this fermented soy product is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Good For Gut Health
As a probiotic, natto has many beneficial bacteria, which can help create a healthy gut flora and improve digestion. Probiotics can help reduce gas, constipation, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and bloating, symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis.
Boosts Your Immune System
The benefits of probiotic-rich foods such as natto extend beyond gut health. It can even boost the production of natural antibodies and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. It’s also rich in vitamin C, iron, zinc, selenium, and copper, contributing to a healthy immune system.
Helps Strengthen Bones
Natto is high in calcium and is one of the rare plant sources of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is essential in bone health by activating bone-building proteins that help bring and retain calcium into your bones and reduce the possibility of osteoporosis.
Promotes A Healthy Heart
Natto has dietary fiber and probiotics, which can help reduce cholesterol levels. It also contains nattokinase, an enzyme that helps dissolve blood clots and lower blood pressure. Keeping blood pressure under control can help ease the stress on your arteries and maintain a healthy heart.
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[…] The Japanese eat mochi in savory and sweet dishes. For savory dishes, mochi is a topping for Ozoni, hot udon noodle soup, and Okonomiyaki. You can also eat it with nori seaweed, soy sauce, grated daikon, and natto. […]