My mom grew up in Kona eating natto sandwiches.
Yes, natto between two slices of white bread.
And that’s why, to this day, she refuses to eat the slimy, smelly fermented soybeans.
I never had contact with the stuff growing up. My mom won’t even let it in the house.
Of course, I was curious about this legendary dish, one that made people cringe by the mere mention. They complained about its smell, its texture, the way it resemble snot.
But there were others who raved about it, pointing to its high protein content, its health and nutritional benefits.
And when I finally tried it — in a dessert (top) from Izayaka Naru and in the signature dish Genki Jurishi (left) from Izakaya Shinn — I had to admit, it really wasn’t for me.
The smell didn’t bother me. The texture, though, did. But I think I had built it up so much in my mind, thinking it would be either intensely disgusting or immensely delicious, that when it was neither, I didn’t see what the fuss was about. Either way.
I know this is gonna sound strange but I was almost disappointed. I wanted to love it or hate it the way everyone seemed to feel. I wanted to have the same kind of disgusted reaction I had when I first bit into a durian. (Oh, that was bad.) Or I wanted to fall in total and oblivious love with it. Something other than… indifference. Sad.
Would I eat natto again? Yes. Would I buy it from Don Quijote and stock my fridge with it? No.
How about you? Love or hate natto? Or are you indifferent like me?
31 Comments
My Mom likes to eat natto. Me, I don’t see what’s the big thing. Part of it might be that my sense of smell is not at its peak so I don’t notice bad smells unless I stick my nose to it and take a deep breath. I don’t know if that’s good or bad.
Do I eat it? Not yet but maybe one day, I’ll grab one of those natto nigiri sushi’s at Genki and try it.
You should try it — but maybe not at Genki! LOL
100% Japanese, 45-years old, never tried it or even smelt it…
Never tried it???? How come???
Grew up eating natto and still do. I guess its a cultural thing for me. Like Robin 100% Japanese. Event my three teenage kids love it.
How did you get your kids to eat it?
I love eating natto on hot rice! I never used to like natto growing up but I guess my tastebuds have changed. I mix the natto with a little bit of soy sauce making it really slimy. I also add in grated daikon if I have it or some green onions. Then I just put it on a bowl of hot rice and mix it all together. Yummy!
Maybe if my mom ate it on hot rice with shredded daikon and shoyu — instead of bread! — maybe she’d still be eating it, too! LOL
CAT: If it tastes like okra, I’m in. If it smells like fart, I’m out!
LOL!
Even in Japan, natto is not universally loved. Traditionally, it’s been popular in Kanto (Eastern Japan, including Tokyo) and Tohoku (Northern Japan) but generally disliked in Kansai (Western Japan including Kyoto & Osaka). I’ve seen the dividing line placed at Hakone or (less often) Nagoya.
We love natto. Thanks to a French mother, I grew up on stinky cheeses. The sliminess doesn’t bother us, but you could try taming it with grated daikon as I wrote here: https://www.freerangegourmet.com/2011/07/710-is-natto-day-in-japan-good-day-to.html
Woot, thanks for your comment! Learned a lot — and about you, too!
Hello Cat,
I don’t eat natto here but in Japan for some reason the natto taste guud! Maybe its the guud tasting rice or the natto is better or both. Every trip to Japan I ate natto with my rice for breakfast almost everyday.
I feel that way about unagi. It’s better in Japan. 🙂
Nono to Nato. On a short list of flavors that do nothing for me. Love ti or leave it? neither.
Have you had durian?
Pretty sure I had this in Phuket. It was stinky, good fore taste and lousy lingering after taste. Another can live without thing. Some flavors of SE Asia are amazing, some go in the been there done that bucket and this is one.
I love natto…in sushi or on hot rice with shoyu, green onions & hot chili pepper water…yum.
That’s how a lot of people eat it. I’ve never had it that way. Should try!
I love natto!(Noticed it doesn’t pass spellcheck) My Dad used to eat natto every day with his beer.
Every day with beer? Oh, my!
I never saw natto until I lived in Japan. The shokudo would serve it at least once a week with rice and a raw quail egg. I could never get past the smell, so I’ve never tried it. The only one of my classmates who liked it would take back ten containers of natto back to her dorm room with her.
For some reason, I think natto doesn’t smell as bad as it used to… Or maybe I’m just used to it…
Similar experience with me. I had it for the first time a few years ago in natto spaghetti and it was neither as disgusting as I heard nor amazingly delicious. So, while I’d definitely try it again if offered, I haven’t really had much of any since.
Natto spaghetti? Was that at Pietro???
Natto is wonderful. Natto kaiten sushi at Genki or Kuru Kuru Sushi tastes like maguro, sorta (with a little imagination). It’s the first thing I order when I sit down and watch what goes by. Two orders for starters. Yum!
Do you make that smacking sound when you eat it?
I LOVE Natto! And I don’t think it’s smelly at all, nor its slimy texture offensive at all! Actually, for me it has a robust taste and smell, akin to coffee beans.
Gyotaku has a dish called “Nattochos”, which is a Japanese twist on Nachos. Nattochos are made by topping fried wonton wedges with Natto, ahi poke, avocado (to represent Guac’) and Furikake. You should try it. Oishii! Search “Nattochos” on Google and my blog’s review of it comes right up.
Hey Cat, was really great meeting you yesterday at the “Huri Huri” Chicken drive! You’re so cute! I’m now off to peruse through your very cool blog. 🙂
Huri Huri — love it!
I heard about the Nattochos. Crazy. The dessert at Tokkuri Tei is pretty awesome, too, if you love natto.
We gotta go eat sometime!
Love it! I’ve served it to my kids from babyhood. Hoping they like it, too — if only to help them develop healthy appetites and complex palates from early ages.
This post is about something you tried once?
Most people don’t fall in love with it the first time, so no surprise that you really have nothing to say about it, especially as you tried it in a dessert.
Try it with a raw egg for breakfast a few times, like most people eat it and you may start to appreciate it. It will stabilize your gut bacteria and even cures dysentery.
But keep writing about your poor dietary choices and anything else you feel you have to offer, and I’ll try to keep reading it as long as I have enough time in my life to throw away! 🙂