GUEST POST: My Love Affair With Rotten Soybeans

Rotten Soybeans in the Center, with Tuna, Salmon, and an Egg Yolk

This is a guest post written by Kenji Crosland a writer for TeachStreet.  TeachStreet is a website that provides online and local classes, as well as cooking classes and nutrition classes.

My first encounter with fermented soybeans or nattō as it’s called in Japan was about five years ago when I was visiting a friend’s place in the countryside.  It was breakfast time and along with the traditional salad (yep, they eat salad for breakfast there), toast, miso soup and sausages was this pile of…well, I didn’t want to say it, but it was slimy and brown and lumpy and made me think of something you should definitely NOT put in your mouth.  Not only did it look unattractive, but the smell! The smell was akin to very very stinky cheese (times two).

Needless to say, it’s an acquired taste.  I did, however, give it a go.  I didn’t want to be labeled the timid foreigner who never tries anything new.  I poured the sticky, smelly stuff on my rice and tasted it.

To my surprise I found that I actually liked it.  It had a kind of nutty, creamy taste and was an excellent companion to the rice.  It was a unique tasting, wholesome, nourishing food.

Later I found out that nattō was actually just fermented soybeans, and that because soybeans are pretty cheap, and it doesn’t take much to let them rot, each serving is has an average price of about 80 to 90 cents.  I imagine that it’s slightly more expensive if you buy it from the Asian markets in the US, but even with the markup it’s not a bank-breaker.

And it’s nutritious!  Nattō is quite possibly one of the healthiest foods on the planet.  Nattō is chock full of fiber, protein, vitamin C, K, riboflavin, iron, calcium and potassium. On top of this, nattō is full of beneficial bacteria which aid in digestion. I’d be willing as far as getting the biggest bang for your buck nutrition-wise I wouldn’t be surprised if Nattō beat every other food, hands-down. If you don’t believe me, check out these nutrition facts and see for yourself!

Nattō these days come in little Styrofoam packages. It’s pretty easy to prepare.  All you have to do is stir the nattō with chopsticks to whip it up a bit. A friend told me to stir clockwise 11 times and counterclockwise 11 times for about 5-6 repetitions, but you can do it to taste.  After you’ve whipped it up a bit you add the little packet of sauce that usually comes with it (similar to soy sauce but tangier) and you mix it again.  Finally, if you’re so inclined, you can add the bit of hot mustard that’s also included, and mix.

A Typical Natto Package With Sauce

Nattō is often served on top of rice and can be served with okra, salmon roe, raw tuna, a quail’s egg, or even kimchee (even stinkier!), plain on rice is also good. If you go to a particularly authentic sushi place, it’s possible they serve a Nattō sushi roll, which might be a good place to give it a try.  The nattō is wrapped up in rice and seaweed so the smell isn’t so overpowering.

“Natto Sushi"

Nattō, like many acquired tastes, can become an obsession.  It’s cheap, super-healthy and is a good companion to rice and many other foods.  Next time you stop by the asian market, be sure to give Nattō a try.

P.S. It’s pronounced "Not-Toe"

Thanks to Kenji for a great guest post!

Have you ever tried nattō?

Tagged as: guest post, natto