Natto

[aliénor]

i just returned from three weeks in japan. most of the time we stayed with friends and keiko made us a japanese beakfast every day. besides several other dishes we always had rice with natto. sometimes the natto had sliced leeks , and sometimes a raw egg yolk beaten into it. besides the other dishes i found that natto over rice was my favorite. i live in a small town in new hampshire, usa. where can i buy natto? is there a place on the east coast that will ship. i have been back two days and miss my daily natto fix.

please help me

[ulterior epicure]

were the leeks cooked before being added to natto or were they raw?

u.e.

[_john]

were the leeks cooked before being added to natto or were they raw?

u.e.

←

They were almost definitely raw. I'm guessing these were "negi" which is like a cross between a green onion and a leek. It is more like an overgrown green onion in that it does not have distinct layers like a leek. These are added raw as a finishing touch in many dishes.

There has to be a source on the east coast, hopefully someone more knowledgeable of that area can help you.

[aliénor]

yes, the "leeks" were raw. both our friends insisted we shouldn't eat them if we were going out to meet people as they left an unpleasant breath. my thought was that there were so mild that there would be not trace on our breath. well, if i can't find natto i will have to be satisfied with miso soup and some pieces of fish and cold asparagus. but where, o where, is my natto?

[ulterior epicure]

were the leeks cooked before being added to natto or were they raw?

u.e.

←

They were almost definitely raw. I'm guessing these were "negi" which is like a cross between a green onion and a leek. It is more like an overgrown green onion in that it does not have distinct layers like a leek. These are added raw as a finishing touch in many dishes.

There has to be a source on the east coast, hopefully someone more knowledgeable of that area can help you.

←

Ramps?!?

u.e.

[_john]

were the leeks cooked before being added to natto or were they raw?

u.e.

←

They were almost definitely raw. I'm guessing these were "negi" which is like a cross between a green onion and a leek. It is more like an overgrown green onion in that it does not have distinct layers like a leek. These are added raw as a finishing touch in many dishes.

There has to be a source on the east coast, hopefully someone more knowledgeable of that area can help you.

←

Ramps?!?

u.e.

←

They are not ramps. They are less fibrous than green onions, and have a milder flavor. I know someone on here is a horticulturist who specialize in japan, maybe they can clear this up.

[ulterior epicure]

well, then it's definitely not Chinese chives (aka: "green garlic") - that's definitely more pungent than green onions IMO.

[sanrensho]

i just returned from three weeks in japan.  most of the time we stayed with friends and keiko made us a japanese beakfast every day.  besides several other dishes we always had rice with natto.  sometimes the natto had sliced leeks , and sometimes a raw egg yolk beaten into it. besides the other dishes i found that natto over rice was my favorite.  i live in a small town in new hampshire, usa.  where can i buy natto? is there a place on the east coast that will ship.  i have been back two days and miss my daily natto fix.

please help me

←

Where is your closest major city? I would try to find a wholesaler for Japanese foods and ask/beg them to sell you a case (or two or three). Phone them up in advance.

Another tactic would be to contact your nearest sushi joint and ask/beg them to buy a case for you from their wholesaler.

We buy ours that way and keep it in the freezer, defrosting as needed.

Barring that, I would go to the largest Japanese market you can find and ask them to sell you a case (still frozen).

Some of the online prices I've seen for natto seemed a little outrageous.

[torakris]

From the Daily Nihongo thread:

word for 7/12:

長ネギ

naganegi (nah-gah-nay-giy)

This literally means long onion, it is the onion that is refered to by a variety of names:

Japanese bunching onion, Japanese onion, Japanese leek, Welsh onion, etc

It is very long and its thickness falss somewhere between scallions and leeks, it is quite mild and is eaten raw as a garnish as will as cooked. It is quite common to them on a yakitori skewer as well as atop a bowl of ramen noodles.

This picture will give you an idea of their size.

[glazz]

I've made natto a few times. The how-to information is on the internet. It freezes very well. I love it with some soy sauce and fresh mustard sauce worked into it. Some raw onion is also good.

glazzguy

[_john]

I've made natto  a few times. The how-to information is on the internet.  It freezes very well. I love it with some soy sauce and fresh mustard sauce worked into it. Some raw onion is also good.

glazzguy

←

I've thought about making natto but I am afraid that I would end up culturing the wrong type of bacteria. How easy is it to make natto?

[glazz]

I've made natto  a few times. The how-to information is on the internet.  It freezes very well. I love it with some soy sauce and fresh mustard sauce worked into it. Some raw onion is also good.

glazzguy

←

I've thought about making natto but I am afraid that I would end up culturing the wrong type of bacteria. How easy is it to make natto?

←

You can buy the culture from Gem Cultures. Or use natto from a Japanese store to help it. Half my batches were duds but I never bought the culture. I have made natto that did well with no bacteria added.

glazz

[glazz]

I've made natto  a few times. The how-to information is on the internet.  It freezes very well. I love it with some soy sauce and fresh mustard sauce worked into it. Some raw onion is also good.

glazzguy

←

I've thought about making natto but I am afraid that I would end up culturing the wrong type of bacteria. How easy is it to make natto?

←

Natto making

[misstenacity]

I recently had my first natto experience at Yoshimatsu in Tuscon, as part of a "salmon & natto" bento box.

It was stringy, as expected. Stinky, as expected. Tangy and beany and mild to the palate, also as expected. I can't say that I loved it, but I was far from disliking it. I think only a few more "tries" and I'll be hooked.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[jeniac42]

I was in Chicago for a few days and ate dinner at Katsu. Katsu's wife really likes nattou, and one of my hosts asked her to make two nattou preparations. As I mentioned before, I hadn't really been enjoying nattou, but these dishes were really good and have changed my mind about it.

First there was nattou with maguro and nori:

I thought the contrast between the soft texture of the maguro and the firm soybeans with the sticky and slimy threads was really wonderful.

Next we had "agedashi nattou":

This was nattou stuffed into an aburaage pouch, served with soy/dashi sauce, grated daikon, kaiware, and nametake mushrooms. I would recommend this dish to anyone who doesn't like the smell of nattou, because it really was tamed by the other flavors in the dish.

[torakris]

I am glad to hear it!

Maguro and natto was my first experience eating natto!

That second dish looks really good, I might have to give that a try.

[Salli Vates]

Jeniac, that looks so delicious!

[maryeats]

Does anyone know the name of the Korean version? I have seen bricks of fermented soybeans in the markets, but given the few pictures I've seen of natto I'm not sure if it is the same thing. The smell rivals that of unwashed gym clothes incubating in a plastic bag for a week.

[torakris]

Does anyone know the name of the Korean version? I have seen bricks of fermented soybeans in the markets, but given the few pictures I've seen of natto I'm not sure if it is the same thing. The smell rivals that of unwashed gym clothes incubating in a plastic bag for a week.

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Hi maryeats, welcome to eGullet!

melonpan talks in detail about chunggukjang (Korean style natto) starting with this post, back on page 3 of this thread.

[maryeats]

Ah-ha, Thanks for pointing the way. I'm super curious to try this stuff after reading all these posts. Any suggestion for a simple introduction?

[Kuma]

Ah-ha, Thanks for pointing the way. I'm super curious to try this stuff after reading all these posts. Any suggestion for a simple introduction?

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I enjoy simply eating Natto over steamed rice.

If you want the "beginner's version" a Natto and cheese sandwich is nice too.

[_john]

recently natto curry has become popular. I sometimes use up old natto in curry.

i discovered a really good natto add in: cherry tomato and salt. cut the tomatoes into quarters and sprinkle with salt, then mix with natto in the normal way. I have been teaching some of my students about this and when they try it they really like it.

[Hiroyuki]

recently natto curry has become popular. I sometimes use up old natto in curry.

i discovered a really good natto add in: cherry tomato and salt. cut the tomatoes into quarters and sprinkle with salt, then mix with natto in the normal way. I have been teaching some of my students about this and when they try it they really like it.

←

Cherry tomatoes?? No thanks!

Your students? Who are they? Non-Japanese students?

[helenjp]

Don't knock this cherry tomato idea until you've tried it! I don't use cherry tomatoes much except for Japanese food, actually. . They're great for dishes like hijiki salad (dress with a mustard vinaigrette and a dash of soy sauce) too!

[SheenaGreena]

i just returned from three weeks in japan. most of the time we stayed with friends and keiko made us a japanese beakfast every day. besides several other dishes we always had rice with natto. sometimes the natto had sliced leeks , and sometimes a raw egg yolk beaten into it. besides the other dishes i found that natto over rice was my favorite. i live in a small town in new hampshire, usa. where can i buy natto? is there a place on the east coast that will ship. i have been back two days and miss my daily natto fix.

please help me

you can get natto at the Super 88 chains in boston. Its not NH, but it's close. There is also a japanese grocery store that sells it in Cambridge. I am pretty sure that it is cheaper at Super 88