Natto

For those of you who have not been to Japan, or those of you who are just smart, you may not know about the amazing health food in Japan called natto. When I first arrived in Japan, everyone was all-abuzz about this unique food, and wanted to know if I had tried it yet. It’s kinda like in the schoolyard when the kids ask if you have tried the mud-pie yet.
Everyone says how natto is really healthy and good for you, but it has a funny smell. Not funny like”ha-ha,” but funny like “I’m going to watch you vomit.” So I thought, well, I really should try this so I can at least tell the kids why I don’t like it. By the way, natto is a “fermented soy bean.” When I asked my adult students about what it was like, they translated “fermented” to be “decaying.” Enough said.
Let me explain that last night was actually the second time I tried to try natto. The first time was a few months ago and I didn’t quite know how to prepare it, and it is a bean right, so I popped it in the microwave. BAD IDEA. The smell was so intense and putrid. I wanted to at least try it, but all the dry heaving got in the way. I had to throw it away, along with the two other cartons in the pack. Luckily, the smell didn’t leave with the cartons! I couldn’t go in the kitchen or use the microwave for days while airing it out.
So back to my second attempt. After all this build up, it actually wasn’t as bad as it smelled. I mixed it into some fried rice with egg and sausage ( it was leftover night last night). I could still taste the “decay,” but the thing that really got me was the stringiness. You know when you melt marshmallows for rice crispy treats, and they get all sticky and stringy? Well, that is the consistency of a pile of natto, only not sweet but earthy.
Did I finish my dinner, no. Did I throw it away, no. Will I eat it again, not sure. It is supposed to help you lose weight. I think it works because I haven’t felt like eating all day!
I was inspired to write this blog after reading a hilarious website called The Sneeze. A guy named Steve has a section where he eats strange food and writes comments about his “adventure.” It is a bit crude, so if you like that, please check it out. I haven’t laughed that hard – well, I guess since I fell off the bridge. Here’s the website: http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php
Read all if you have time, but at least scroll down to Episode 6: Natto.
Happy eating!