Natto is one of the most traditional and everyday food items loved by locals. It is also one of the most common foods that completely weirds out tourists and foreigners in Japan.
Natto is fermented soybeans that have a strong fermented nutty taste with a sticky and slimy texture. It is as local and every day as kimchi is to Koreans, stinky tofu is to Taiwanese, and sauerkraut is to Germans.
Aside from tradition, one of the main reasons Japanese love consuming natto is for all its health benefits.
A single serving of natto is packed with protein, calcium, fiber, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc. Then there are the vitamins like B, C, E, and K. And, on top of all that, the fermentation process makes natto packed with probiotics.
All these nutrients make this one single, small serving excellent for your digestive system, for maintenance of strong bones, for a healthy heart, and for fortifying your immune system.
Natto is typically served over rice and consumed for breakfast. You can find little packs in convenience stores. First, you must mix it well with chopsticks. The more you stir and mix it, the more it becomes stringy and slimy. Add the little packets of soy sauce and mustard and continue to mix it again. Pour that mixture over a cup of rice, and that’s breakfast!
Today, natto can also be found over sushi, in sushi rolls, on toast, in miso soup, garnished over salad, mixed into okonomiyaki, or topped on spaghetti. Basically, natto is so common for locals, it has become incorporated into many everyday dishes.
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