Why Nattō Remains A Breakfast Staple In Japan

Nattō, which is a fermented Japanese soybean dish, is definitely an acquired taste. It has some characteristics that you don't often see in a lot of other foods. First of all, it's got quite a distinctive smell to it, almost aged, funky, and cheesy; some people also say it's got an ammoniated scent to it.

It also has a visual and textural component to it that's unlike anything else. Once it's been initially stirred, it starts developing mucus-like strands that coat the beans, clumping them together. I hate to describe it this way, but nattō is, well, a bit slimy.



I've eaten a lot of things, but I can confidently say that . Perhaps because it is so distinctive, nattō divides opinions. A 2017 survey completed by reported that just under 62% of Japanese people enjoyed eating nattō.

Interestingly, other surveys have found that those people living in the west of Japan seem to enjoy the dish less. Despite its polarizing nature, many people still swear by the fermented soybeans for the same reason why : They are healthy. For some people, that's reason enough to tolerate everything about nattō.

Eating nattō may have many health benefits Some Japanese people believe that eating nattō can reduce your chances of suffering from a stroke, which is an idea that was supported by a long-term study published in the in 2020. It found that people who eat fermented foods that are soy-based on a daily basis can bring their chances of dying by a heart attack or stroke down by 10%. Nattō is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

One 100-gram serving contains 67% of your daily recommended intake of manganese, 19% of vitamin K, 74% of your daily copper requirement, 5 grams of fiber, along with many other nutrients. Nattō also contains . It almost seems like a multivitamin in the form of soybeans, if you think about it.

Though it's not particularly popular outside of Japan, you can purchase nattō at Asian supermarkets. Especially for first timers, we recommend dressing the nattō with condiments like spicy mustard or green onions to make it more palatable. Even with these additions, nattō is something you might need to mentally prepare yourself for.

If you are going to try it, just be sure you know what you're getting yourself into. Recommended.