Black Natto ~~~ Yum!

Ok so.... A little more education about natto in Japan. There are many variety's and manufacturers of this wonderful food throughout the country. Some are very large with Mito Natto from Ibaraki prefecture among the most famous and some are tiny traditional places still making it by hand with no preservatives and so on.

Traditionally natto is made from Soy beans, some are grown domestically but these days Japan imports a great deal of it's beans from abroad. Recently black bean natto or Kuro Mame natto ha been gaining popularity. The flavor and texture is similar to regular natto but the smell is less pungent. Newcomers to natto and foreigners are often encouraged to try this modern twist to the old standby as it is easier for folks with a more sensitive nose. I have seen different types and sizes of black beans used and for my own purposes I selected small black turtle beans.

My first attempt worked well but I found that the black beans required more cooking time than the soya beans (about 60 min) and during the fermentation process the smell, although not distinctively natto like in nature was somehow more pungent and rotten then with soy beans!

The taste! Ummmmm definitely less strong and a friend said "slightly sweet". I enjoyed it very much and I have plans to get a little more radical soon and try "Green Lentil Natto"

wish me luck

pjt