In Praise of Natto
The delightful fermented soybean! I was introduced to natto by a Japanese-American friend and instantly fell in love- with the flavor, the texture, and especially the special protein rush-like feeling that comes over me afterwards. There's nothing else quite like it.
I've always eaten it as my friend showed me: with a drop of shoyu, a touch of chinese mustard and a pickled plum or two on the side; cold over hot rice. Scoop it up with sheets of nori.
I've tried many brands from japanese markets...the single serving styrofoam tubs in the refrigerated section. Any brand seemed to do, the fewer additives the better. Being what it is though, it's pretty difficult to find natto packaged with any English details on it, so I'm painfully aware I am groping in the dark.
I am sure there's a great wealth of natto lore out there....different regional types, best brands to buy, restaurants that might make their own as a speciality, other ways of serving it.....Chowhounds- give me your natto knowledge!
By Jessica E.
on Nov 23, 2002 05:44 PM
View »
Although I don't know all that much about natto either,I'll take you up on your praise. Sorry, I can't add much to your query. I am also in the dark but quite curious as well.
Your preferred way of eating is very good. As a variation, you can slice up a green onion and serve that and desired amount of shoyu and a bit of mustard with the rice. Especially good for breakfast. Yum! I have also heard of folks mixing it up with a raw egg for a double-protein helping.
Another way I have seen it served is rolled up with rice in maki. And I know that some LA restaurants serve it this way. I can't remember though, where I have seen natto-maki.
Permalink | Reply
Natto maki is quite common in Japan, and some places here serve it- I know Yamakasa on Franklin/Highland does. Personally, I can't handle the gooey concoction, although I have tried many times. The consistency and smell (closer to old socks than stinky cheese, which I love). My father always told me that if I ever found myself in the middle of winter in Hokkaido with little money....a bowl of hot, white rice, natto with spicy mustard and green onions, topped with a raw egg and mixed furiously with chopsticks so the egg would partly cook in the hot rice would be the best thing I'd ever tasted. I'll have to try it again if I ever find myself in that situation, and maybe my appreciation for it will blossom.
Permalink | Reply
I noticed you mentioned Yamakasa. I have eaten there a couple of times with friends from Japan and rather liked it--a good, down home "sushi &..." kind of place. What do you think?
Permalink | Reply
My sister recently took me there..she had been raving about it for a while and I was curious. I think their cold sake selection is great, and the stand-out was the albacore marinated in ponzu with roasted garlic- nice garlic flavor without the spicy garlic breath afterward. Their toro was ok, but no one's toro beats Z's Sushi in Alhambra/South Pasadena, I'd bet my beloved cuisinart on that. Once you have Z toro, you can never go back. Back to Yamakasa- the food was good, not life-changing, but I like the atmosphere and the service is attentive without being pushy. I think it's kind of a zoo on the weekends, and I prefer quieter sushi joints myself. If you haven't tried Z, please do and let me know what you think. I believe it is far superior to any westside or hollywood places.
Permalink | Reply
Will do. But I just came back from Tokyo where I ate at Yamato (alternatively called Daiwa, I think), a small funky sushi bar in the Tsukiji fish market that has temporarily made all domestic sushi irrelevant. And the unbelievably great and of course fresh omakase was only about 26 bucks. (The bad part was we had to wait on line for about forty-five minutes at 6AM just to get in... but I guess that's why we knew it was a good place!)
Permalink | Reply
The first time I tried it, last week, I truly loved it (in a styrofoam box with some mustard and soy sauce included). I actually go to bed looking forward to having it the next day. I also tried making my own and it came out fine, but even stringier I would really like!
Permalink | Reply
I grew up eating natto and I love it! This is pure comfort food. My mother, from a small village in Hokkaido, tells of making natto on their farm. They would ferment the soybeans by putting it under horse dung. I'm not sure sure if I would love natto as much as I do if it was fermented the old-fashioned way. Ick. My mom always prepares it with a raw egg, splash of soy sauce, and chopped green onions, stirred up with the natto. A bit of this over hot white rice. Yum! I prefer the whole soybeans, but you may also get Hikiwari Natto (cracked soybean natto) and Goto Natto (made of hikiwari natto and malted rice).
Permalink | Reply