It’s part of Japanese diet culture to eat Natto. But to be exact, this is more likely to be particular in east Japan. Basically people from west Japan do not eat Natto as much as we do. Most of them are not used to eating Natto and many of them don’t like it. I felt it very weird when my father, who’s originally from Oaska, and grandma who still lives in Osaka don’t like it at all because I can eat it with no problem.
I happened to see an interesting statistical result of how much or less the Japanese eat Natto compared with fracture rate at a Natto sales space at a grocery store. The orange colored area means high fracture rate, the green colored area is low fracture rate, and the yellow colored area is somewhere in-between. Blue circled area (north and east Japan) is considered large consumer and pink colored area (west and south Japan) is considered small consumer. The graph tells people of which prefecture spend how much money for Natto. (This is too small with above photo and I cannot even tell.) You can see that people from north – east Japan eat more Natto and score less fracture rate while people from west Japan, especially Osaka area, eat less Natto and score higher fracture rate.
I'm sure that natto is healthy but… I don't know if It would like me becouse, you know, It has a really bad look jeje, anyway I don't know where can I buy it. How is the taste?
I'm afraid most of foreigners don't like the smell of Natto. It smells so bad that you wouldn't feel like eating it. haha…^ ^; I've seen Natto sold at Asian supermarkets in some countries outside Japan. The big difference is it was frozen! In Japan Netto is only chilled, not frozen!
OMG, I looove natto and I ate it EVERYDAY when I was in Japan, but where I originally live, natto is pretty expensive andI can`t really eat it as much as I`d want to… :3 You are so lucky to have tons of natto around! :DD
OMG~~! You liked it? I thought most of foreigners can't even tolerate the smell of Natto~! ^ ^; Yeah it's cheap under 100 yen for 3. When I'm broke, I'll eat Natto, steamed rice, and pickled vegetable. That's enough. haha!
Unrelated statistics are unrelated, methinks 🙂
Mainly because natto is sick and wrong :p
I think it looks nothing but sick, but it's true this is sort of Japanese food that enabled longevity.
Blergh!!! 😀
I've had natto before, both by itself and with rice (at my host family's house in Japan). It looks icky, but it really isn't so bad. I, and some other people who have tried it, think it tastes a bit like coffee beans. My Japanese teacher brought natto sushi to class last week, and most people seemed to think it was ok.
Ah~, Natto sushi maybe better because beans are cut into small pieces that give you less smell and stickiness, I guess.
I teach in a Japanese junior high school, so sometimes we eat natto for school lunch. I think it's ok but I don't like to add mustard. I prefer it plain. Does natto contain calcium? I wonder why it benefits our bones…?
OMG~! You eat it as it is without even a soy sauce or the "tare" that comes with Natto? Wow, I don't even know if I can eat Natto as it is! (lol)
Natto contains calcium and many other vitamins as well as isoflavone that is good for beauty. 🙂
Where's my reply? It's gone…:( Yes, Natto contains calcium and many other vitamins. 🙂
Where's my reply? It's gone…:( Yes, Natto contains calcium and many other vitamins. 🙂
My husband LOVES natto. When he gets it at a sushi place, they always ask if he knows what it is and look at him like he is crazy! ^_^
LOL LOL LOL Thank you for your comment, that made me LOL!
I tried natto maki the first time I had natto, and that was really easy to eat! After that I tried 'proper' natto (plain or with mustard or mayonnaise) and that was fine too. I think it would have been more difficult to get used to if I'd tried pit plain the first time. The image of that sticky stuff can be quite overwhelming! ^_^
Oh Lisa, of course you've tried it already in Japan. ^ ^
Natto with mayonnaise? Wow, that sounds interesting. ^ ^ Natto maki should be easier than proper way of eating it over rice…haha…
Ew! Fermented soybeans! BUT I've never tried it lol I taste things going off my sense of smell-if I like the smell of it, I'll taste it lol Have you ever heard of stinky tofu? It's fermented tofu :p!! lol There's a TV show here in the States called Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern where he goes around the world tasting unusual cuisine. Stinky tofu was a bit much for him :p I hope you're doing well 🙂 Thanks for the post about your cute doggy the other day 🙂
Wow, that's interesting but…I'm too scared to try it. The stinky tofu…you mean something like these?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermented_bean_curd
I didn't even know them. Natto is a popular food it's everywhere in Japanese markets but this stinky tofu is…I've never seen it anywhere in Japan yet. I may try it if I travel to China or other asian countries in the future. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I learned something new!
Wow, that's interesting but…I'm too scared to try it. The stinky tofu…you mean something like these?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermented_bean_curd
I didn't even know them. Natto is a popular food it's everywhere in Japanese markets but this stinky tofu is…I've never seen it anywhere in Japan yet. I may try it if I travel to China or other asian countries in the future. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I learned something new!
What is it? I'm curious?
You'll find it in an asian market.
I absolutely hated natto when I was in Japan. I didn't mind the smell but it tasted like vomit with the texture of mucus (sorry for the very visual description).
(@ @) Yes, that's how most of people would feel againt Natto, I guess. It's totally no-way food to most of foreigners. I think I can eat it because I eat it since I was a small kid who didn't have prejudice and didn't know anything about it. I liked to eat eyes of fish when I was a kid, but not any more as I feel it gross. lol
Yes, I have and I'll like to try it again! I can't find it in Singapore though… =(
Really?? I found that many Japanese foods (such as seasoning and snacks) were sold in Singaporean supermarkets. So I thought you definitely have it there~.
I'm a foreigner and I like to eat natto lol. I like to eat it with egg, mustard, and soy sauce mixed together with rice. It gives it a weird "slimey" texture but I like the taste. The fermented taste of natto is brief in my opinion and when eaten with everything it's not as strong. I don't mind the smell lol.
I'm a foreigner and I like to eat natto lol. I like to eat it with egg, mustard, and soy sauce mixed together with rice. It gives it a weird "slimey" texture but I like the taste. The fermented taste of natto is brief in my opinion and when eaten with everything it's not as strong. I don't mind the smell lol.
Actually the way you eat it is almost the same as mine! I'd add leek cut into small pieces on that. :p
Actually the way you eat it is almost the same as mine! I'd add leek cut into small pieces on that. :p
While I was in Japan last summer I would get natto whenever I could!! In Hong Kong they would always sell sushi with natto stuffed inside too…so delicious ❤
Whenever~?! Wow, then it's like there are some foreigners who really like it although most of them don't.
Hi Kirin, ひさしぶり だね ^_^
That's so interesting . I didn't know that not every Japanese likes to eat natto.
Do the Japanese feel the same about natto as the comments : you really like it or you really don't like it , with no in between ?
It must be like Brussels sprouts : some people adore them and other start gagging by just looking at them.
I love natto , because of it's unique texture and I love Brussels sprouts too 🙂
You can see more of it in my article here :http://brandnewbearings.blogspot.com/2009/05/japa…
Walter
Walter~~~~!!! OMG, now you use some Japanese?? ひさしぶりだね！I'm so much surprised to see you now write to me in Japanese! Even if it's a short phrase it's a good effort you made. I totally respect your effort, thank you~~!!
Ah I remember I read that post and just amazed at how brave you were! I also remember you tried Chinese old eggs in black color that was so incredible I won't be encouraged to eat them.
To me, natto is something in-between. I don't dislike it, but if I can choose natto or pizza, I'll take pizza! (lol) I like Italian foods more than Japanese foods. But I try to eat Japanese foods because they are good for health.
All the best for your Japanese study. I believe you will make it, as your language skills are so amazingly high. 😀
Thank you for your comment.
I live in Christchurch, New Zealand and I eat natto twice a week. It is imported frozen from Japan and is not expensive.
Sounds like a very healthy diet you have!
Natto is really good for health. I think old Japanese people ate it more often than people today and that's one of the reasons our longevity is No.1 in the world. But I doubt that lasts as now our diet is more likely to be western style. I like western food so much. XD
when you reach the 40’s you need to take calcium supplements to prevent Osteoporosis~,:
too much vitamin-a can also cause osteoporosis but aging is the number cause of it -,.
i am loving natto. i started eating it just a few months ago. when something is good for me and that's all i usually need to hear. i think of natto as a cheese and add soy sauce, mustard, hot sauce, green onions and rice – or mix it with fried rice. i find it quite yummy.
i wanted to find a way to make it at home, so i could make it with other beans like aduki or black beans or lentils. but i had a problem keeping it warm enough… i made a few batches before one turned out alright. then, this weekend i finally realized that a yogurt maker would work very well to keep it at the right temperature i found a yolife yogurt maker at a secondhand store and made a batch that turned out quite well. i am pleased with this new toy and my delicious natto. there are helpful instructions on the web.
Wow! I am impressed with your idea and effort to make natto at home! ^_^
Outstanding website. Loads of practical facts here. I’m delivering it to some close friends ans also sharing in delicious. Of course, great sweat!