« happy new year! | Main | my chopsticks are crying »
January 10, 2007
me vs. natto
In the showdown between me and Japanese food, there was one foe that could always best me: nattō.
Nattō. Fermented soybeans. You've probably heard of it. It's a divisive comestible, in that way only things that are called "food" yet smell like rotting feet are. While nearly everyone in Japan will lecture you on the health benefits of eating nattō (lowered risk of osteoporosis and cancer and blood clots and obesity and maybe...death?), there are actually a fair number of Japanese people who find the stuff repellent. The thing that makes nattō so disgustingly special is its texture, which manages to be at once slimy, slippery and stringy. This is a byproduct of the fermenting and aging process, during which the beans are soaked, fermented under heated conditions, then aged at a much cooler temperature. Meanwhile, Bacillus subtilis natto, a rice straw bacterium, does its not-so-subtle work and a pile of sticky, odiferous beans results.
But my cowering at the sight of nattō wouldn't do. I refused to be bullied, especially by something made of beans. Beans are small. Beans are innocuous. Beans are even kind of wimpy. So I armed myself with a fistful of green onions and a bowl of hot rice, excellent allies in any Japanese food showdown, and set to work.
Although I entertained thoughts of wimping out and starting with the black soybean nattō, which is supposed to be less strongly flavored, I decided to instead go for an all-purpose brand that had always caught my eye when I peeked fearfully at the nattō section of the grocery store. It came with small packets of tsuyu and karashi (mustard). I planned on using the tsuyu and forgoing the mustard, as its strong flavor might overpower the nattō-ness of my nattō. I chopped up some green onion and took a deep breath before lifting open the Styrofoam lid. It would be the last nattō-free breath I would take all day.
And there it was. You don't really need to ask why I was so afraid of nattō, do you?
The deep stink of fermented protein filled the kitchen. But the slippery adventure was only beginning -- I still had to mix my nattō, stirring it around with a pair of chopsticks to make it even more stringy. I wasn't too clear on why this was the desired result, but in the spirit of no-holds-barred nattō consumption, I did it.
After mixing, the beans looked even worse, foamy and viscous, like something you might find on the underside of a lily pad or see in a movie about spawning aliens. Undaunted, I piled them into the small bowl of hot rice, sprinkled on the tsuyu and covered the whole mess in a thick layer of green onions.
And finally, I put the first stinking bite into my mouth. I chewed. It was nutty. Slippery. There was a faint taste of rot, but it was rot I knew I could come to accept and maybe even love, like a very stinky cheese or a friendly zombie. After a couple bites, I added to some daubs of karashi to the mix and found the occasional burning bites even better. Toward the bottom of the bowl, I needed something more, so I pulled out my final Japanese food ally, the mighty umeboshi, and alternated the last bites of beans and rice with nibbles from the tart pickled ume. It was exactly right. I cleaned the bowl.
I had bested nattō. Or had I? My entire apartment reeked of the stuff for the rest of the day. I declare this match a tie.
Posted on January 10, 2007 8:16 AM | Categories: Firsts | Soy | Weird
Comments
You should be applauded for your strength of constitution in going straight for the "natto on rice" approach. I am not nearly so brave -- I like natto in a number of forms, but over rice is not one of them.
My favorite way to eat rancid soy beans is in 麻婆納豆 (mabo natto), which I make the same way as mabo tofu, and just add a couple packs of natto in with the tofu. The tobanjan, garlic, and ginger cover up the smell of the natto, and cooking liquid gets rid of the slippery slimyness.
Personally, I think besting natto is worth it for the bragging rights.
Posted by: Sarah on January 10, 2007 10:01 PM
This is just about the most awesome description of a first-time natto experience I've ever read. I didn't much like natto the first time I had it. I liked the flavor and aroma, but I found the texture completely dreadful. I eventually came to like it, stringy film and all, especially in maki with wasabi. It's also really tasty if you sautee it briefly in oil, add a bit of shoyu and ginger, and serve over rice, topped with sliced negi. Heating it really helps to break down the goop.
Posted by: Tim on January 11, 2007 12:05 AM
You're brave. I consider myself a very adventurous eater, but I cannot eat that. I just can't. I thought this was another entertaining account of first time natto:
http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000169.php
Posted by: Amber on January 11, 2007 12:38 AM
I absolutely love natto. however I can't eat shirako (codfish molt) have you dared? also shiokara (squid intestine) I didn't try,
Posted by: foodlover on January 14, 2007 11:41 AM
I love natto. But I can't eat shirako (codfish molt) or shiokara (squid intestine). Have you tried?
Posted by: anon on January 14, 2007 11:42 AM
haha, congratulations.
a japanese friend of mine once told me that she likes to eat natto on a buttered piece of toast with nori sprinkled on top for breakfast!
personally, i like natto-filled gyouza, or natto with a raw egg and rice.
Posted by: pumpkin on January 16, 2007 7:57 AM
Those two pictures in the middle are by far the most gruesome food pictures I've ever seen. Yikes! I admire your spirit of adventure, and hope that the smell has by now left your apartment. And, just to mention it again, yikes! O_O
Posted by: Barbara on January 17, 2007 3:57 AM
I had a natto showdown recently. But I am game to try again. This time i plan to cover the natto with kimchi. I figure pungent stinky garlic is the best match for stinky gym socks natto. Wish me luck.
Posted by: maryeats on February 10, 2007 11:54 AM
"My entire apartment reeked of the stuff for the rest of the day." really? I buy the same brand you showed but the odor is not that strong... I wonder if I'm getting some old, mild tasting natto here in the US.
Just curiosity: did you mix the soy sauce and mustard that comes with it? I usually put very little since I love pungent tastes like anchovies, ikura, grated daikon, uni, etc... and the sauces
attenuate a bit of the natto taste.
I loved your page, just found it now.
Best wishes,
Sergio
Posted by: Sergio Parreiras on May 6, 2007 9:08 AM
Fun to read of your encounter with natto! I personally love natto, and eat it in this very style for lunch all the time.
Your next assignment is to learn the special little "breaking the natto strings" chopsticks swirl as you are eating it, so you can eat it delicately in public. :)
Posted by: Adam on July 20, 2007 4:40 PM
I commend your courage at trying Natto. I work for a Japanese company, and my collegues in Jpaan are forever tyring to find something in Japan that will cause me to revolt. They have not yet succeded, inlcuding introducing me to the delicous, pungent snack, natto, in the company cafeteria with a large fraction factory population surrounding me: Dave is going to eat natto! They gotta see THAT! To my delight (and their surprise and onsternation), I did not thow it up or gag! I do like it only one way: STRAIGHT form the pack: No sauces, rice or mustard for my natto.
I am having trouble finding it in New Hampshire, though. Any one know of where I can get it without driving to 50 miles south Boston or Cambridge?
Dave (Craving natto) Mahoney
Posted by: Dave Mahoney on August 24, 2007 6:36 AM