Natto Fermented Soy Bean Recipe Ideas
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If you have heard of natto, then I am sure that you have also heard the responses that are heard every time someone mentions the name of these little soy beans!
Natto are one of those classic dishes that people either love or hate. Like Marmite or blue cheese, natto has a very strong smell and intense flavour that can definitely be an acquired taste.
Luckily, we love natto at Japan Centre so to help you get the most out of them, we have a variety of different ways you can enjoy these fermented soy beans.

Natto is also a very healthy food which is rich in a variety of vitamins as well as an enzyme called nattokinese which can help prevent heart diseases and strokes.

When you buy natto, they come in a small polystyrene pot with a single portion of natto, plus a sachet each of dashi and mustard. To prepare them, simply mix it up for a minute with chopsticks until the admittedly slightly stringy mixture is smooth.
Then follow the recipes below to enjoy some classic ways of eating natto.

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Ingredients

• Natto
• Rice
• Onion
• Garlic
• Spaghetti
• Olive Oil
• Kimchi
• Egg
• Nori

How to prepare

Natto on Rice
The most common way to eat natto is to simply mix it up in the pot before pouring over a freshly cooked bowl of rice. This is a traditional breakfast in Japan and a quick and easy way to sample the delights of natto. Check our Japanese Rice recipe here.
Natto Spaghetti
This is a more modern way of enjoying natto in Japan, but tastes great. Start by frying up some garlic and onion in a pan with olive oil. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet and then add to the pan once cooked. Mix the spaghetti well with the onions and oil then serve with a portion of natto on top.
Kimchi Natto
Kimchi is another fermented food which is made from fermented cabbage leaves and chilli powder. Mixing this with natto makes a deliciously strong and intensely flavoured dish which tastes great with a soft-boiled egg and served on a bowl of rice. Check our Kimchi recipe here.

Natto Sushi Roll
Another great way of easily enjoying natto is to wrap it in sushi rice and nori and serve as a healthy sushi roll.
To make this recipe, you will need to be familiar with how to make sushi rolls and then simply use the prepared natto as your ingredient. Check our Sushi Roll recipe here.

Tips and information

• Natto comes in two varieties, either whole soy beans or chopped soy beans. Choose whichever one you prefer, they both taste great.
• Even though natto are a vegetarian dish, the dashi sauce that comes in the pack contains fish so simply swap that out for a normal soy sauce if you want a vegetarian option.
• Although natto may smell quite strong, don’t let that put you off tasting it, they really are a great dish and a perfect way to eat a healthy Japanese meal! :)