Fugu and natto5/16/2023 ![]() ![]() Rice straw was available in abundance in Japan in ancient times. One of the favored habitats of natto-kin is rice straw. The fermentation process that turns steamed or boiled soy beans into natto is caused by a bacteria named Bacillus subtilis natto, known in Japanese as natto-kin. There are no definite records on how natto originally became part of the Japanese cuisine. ![]() Sign at the entrance of the Takano Food natto factory in Noda, near Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture Natto History and Natto Fermentation ![]() They took it back to their families, friends, and workplaces all over Tokyo and Kanto and thus word spread quickly that Mito natto wasn't just ordinary natto but a particularly tasty natto. What has made Mito the natto capital of Japan? Ibaraki Prefecture has a long and strong history in natto production and once the Joban train line opened in 1900, directly connecting Mito with Tokyo, merchants began to sell large amounts of natto, right at the station to travelers arriving from the capital. In Tokyo, original Mito natto is on sale at the Tsukiji Fish Market. You can buy wara natto at many outlets all over the city, including the city's landmark Kairaku-en Park, you will also find it at nearby popular spots like the Yamasa Fish Market in Nakaminato, close to the Aqua World Aquarium, another major attraction of the Mito area. Especially wara natto is popular in Mito, the most traditional type of natto, wrapped in rice straw. At Mito Station and in the area around it, plenty of shops sell various types of natto. The city most famous for quality natto is Mito in Ibaraki Prefecture, in the north of Kanto. Natto and cut Welsh onion on rice Mito - the Natto Capital More importantly, however, is the question: "What does it taste like"? Well, natto is certainly an acquired taste but if you like smelly cheese, kimchi and pitan (fermented eggs), you will certainly like it.Īs popular as natto is in eastern Japan, in western Japan, in Kansai and further west, many people dislike its taste, smell and appearance though it is generally available and part of some local specialties like the horse meat dish in Kumamoto, Kyushu. It contains various vitamins, manganese, iron, fibers and other things nutritionists like to talk about. It's a specialty you will only find in Kumamoto, a city famous for its horse meat dishes. One of the most innovative and most delicious uses of natto is sakura natto, horse meat tartar mixed with natto and a raw egg. Natto can be rolled into maki sushi, onigiri rice balls can be filled with natto, it can be added to miso soup, in salads, it can even be eaten with spaghetti. There are of course many other dishes that involve natto. Some people also mix their natto with a raw egg. Mix the natto with karashi mustard and soy sauce and some negi cuts (Welsh onion), then put it on your rice, and mix it into the rice. Natto consists of fermented soybeans, is has a strong smell and when you move it with your chopsticks, it draws slimy strings. In eastern Japan, in the Kanto and Tohoku regions, a typical breakfast rice topping is natto. Wara natto on sale in Kairaku-en Park, Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture At ryokan, traditional Japanese inns, you are usually also served a slice of shio sake, dried, salty salmon. Japanese Food: Mito Natto, Ibaraki Prefecture 水戸 納豆 茨城県Ī basic traditional Japanese breakfast consists of a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, some pickles and nori, dried seaweed. ![]()
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