It's Natto Time! | (Entered Feb. 05, 2004) | Sponsors: | |||||||
Japan has some weird foods but natto is definitely somewhere near the top of the list. What is it? Basically natto is soybeans that have been allowed to rot, or more politely, 'ferment'. Natto may look like a bunch of gooey deer turds, but it's unfortunate that you can't add smell to webpages yet. You haven't really experienced natto until you've smelled it. I find natto smells different depending on the angle. On top of rice it tends not to smell too bad, but 10 seconds after you put it into the garbage, it smells something like a week-old pair of dirty socks. Leave the empty package sitting on the counter for a minute and you wonder if someone forgot to flush the toilet after a rather nasty visit. Why do people eat this stuff? Well actually I find it doesn't taste too bad. Most foreigners living here wouldn't agree with me but most Japanese like it and are constantly awed that I do too. So how do you prepare it? After opening the styrofoam package, add a little soy sauce, a little mustard and stir away! On top of all that, natto is super healthy, packed with fiber and other stuff your body needs. Natto tastes best on rice with some grilled fish, some seawead and maybe a raw egg as well. Happy eating!
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Food for Thought... |
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