Natto (Fermented Soy Beans)

I am not sure if you have heard of "natto" (or fermented soy beans) which is a traditional Japanese delicacies, which originally came from China.   Those who have bought or seen natto before may initially  wonder why people, especially the Japanese, eat such a peculiar food - it is sticky, slightly smelly and fermented.

I was one of them.  Not only that i think it is a strange food, i used to dislike it.  

The first time i ate natto was at my mother in-laws's house.   One of the Aunties called me to the kitchen to try her hand-made "natto".    She used a chopsticks to mix the natto with a little soy sauce and handed a small bowl of it to me.    "Try...  women in Japan loves this food" she said.    I thought to myself then, "... yeah, well, i am not a Japanese..." but i forced myself to gobble one spoon, and then politely said "Hm.. thank you, i think i tried enough". 

A few years of living in Japan taught me that only a few Japanese make natto at home - which means she meant well introducing me to a very rare food.   It took me another few years to realize how good is natto for health, especially women.   I saw a program on TV about the health benefits of natto.   I then went to the library to double check.   Here is what i found:

1. Because it is a fermented food, the living culture in natto works in our stomach to attack bacterias or other germs that enter our body.

2. It contains a lot of vitamin B2, B6, A and C, proteins, protease, amylaze, katalaze and substances that are only found in natto which works effectively to improve blood circulation

3. Reduce the risk of stroke & heart attack because of its positive effect on improving quality of blood and its circulation

4. It helps to improve fertility as it helps the activity of organs during the production of female hormones

Nowadays, i eat natto at least once a week  ( i should eat more, really).   I have been searching for more recipes using natto and realized that it is not only nutritious but delicious food.   The smell of fermentation can be reduced by taking an extra steps to process the food.   You will be surprised that it does not take a lot to prepare it.

Why not check out a Japanese shop near you and see if they sell natto.    My favorite yummy "natto" recipes are coming soon!

FYI: The photo of a woman on the right is Yoshinaga Sayuri, a 63 years old actress.   I also saw an interview of her on TV about her favorite food and the secret of her youth: yes, she loves natto!