Talk:Nattō

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[edit] Comment 1

If Natto was "invented" in the Jomon era, why would it have a name made from Chinese loan elements rather than a yamatokotoba name? (User:202.231.176.242)

There is a type of food made from fermented and dried beans in Southern China which is writted down in similar characters. So, it's likely that the name was taken from that. I think ancient Japanese simply thought it was cool to use a Chinese sounding name. Revth 15:27, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
There are two views about the origin of natto.The jomon origin view is major. But this has almost little evidence.Another view suggests invention in 11 century.Also I think it was invented in Kansai area in early 11 century.Nabimaru-jp 10:14, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Comment 2

I just wanted to thank the person who picked the picture, it captures perfectly in a single still frame the essence of natto-ness (viz. horrible, mind-bending discomfort and nausea).

I like the photo too, and seeing as we're being all POV here, I'd just like to say looking at it reminds me of natto's nuanced, wonderfully textured and delicious flavor. Oska 03:45, Dec 24, 2004 (UTC)
Yup. Made me hungry. Stargoat 09:38, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I am not a Japanese. Nor am I influenced by them. I just found myself able to eat natto without rice. God, I have no smell. :( -- Toytoy 23:14, Mar 15, 2005 (UTC)
I am a Japanese but I just couldn't stand eating natto on its own. Give me a bowl of rice! :) -- Revth 15:27, 24 Mar 2005 (UTC)
I am not a Japanese (I'm German) but my Japanese ex-girlfriend introduced me to natto. I'm not turned off by its smell, but I find it a lot more palatable if I add lots of soy sauce to it :D --Eniac turing 17:55, 23 November 2006 (UTC)
The picture seems to be missing now. El Mariachi 23:47, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Comment 3

Hello, being Swedish, I'm wondering about likening the smell of natto to that of lutfisk. This dish does not smell a lot, just like any other cooked fish. Surströmming(fermented herring) however has a rather pungent "aroma" which isn't very pleasing.

Then again i've never tried natto, but would very much like to. 213.112.50.67 08:54, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Smell

“akin to strong cheese and the pickled vegetable known as kimchi.”

I removed and the pickled vegetable known as kimchi. I've had kimchi with a strong smell but it was not near natto. KungFuMonkey 15:43, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

Natto doesn't smell like any cheese I've ever encountered (and certainly nothing like kimchi). It's more like a cross between dirty socks and a dead body. "Pungent" doesn't begin to describe it. --RabidDeity 04:28, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] consumption of natto

another source (http://www.weekender.co.jp/LatestEdition/961004/coverstory.html)from 1996 claims 220,000 tons are consumed in Japan each year. That's more than four times as much as in this article! Kohnuma 21:49, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

According to the report issued on March 2006 by General Food Policy Bureau in Japan, the production of natto in 2005 was guessed to be 236,000 tons.(Reference: "The Current State of Tofu and natto", in Japanese.) Nabimaru-jp 08:52, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Why Kansai doesn't like natto

In doing some research for the Kansai region article, I came across this source (http://www.jpf.org.au/06_newsletter/hitokuchi_3new.pdf) which puts forth the theory that natto is disliked in the Kansai due to its proportionately low number of horses as opposed to cattle. The theory goes that in areas which historically raised a high number of horses, soy was also grown commonly to provide grain. In cattle-raising regions, this was not so, and so the appreciation of soy-related products is not as high. It didn't seem worth putting in the Kansai article, but I think it might be a good addition to this one. -- Exitmoose 08:32, 22 January 2007 (UTC)


It is a very interesting theory. However, I do not think it is true. Food was always insufficient in Japan where the population density was high. The soybean was a valuable nourishment source, and the soybean fodder was never given to the horse. Cold weather was necessary for a traditional natto manufacturing. A suitable period for manufacturing natto is short in clement west Japan, and long in inclement east Japan. This might be a cause of a regional difference of natto.Nabimaru-jp 09:19, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Natto

I remember vaguely from a TV program a long time ago that eating Natto can increase one's intelligence for some reason. Now, the show was cancelled a long time ago, so I don't have it. Can anyone verify that, or at least prove that such a claim exists? Arbiteroftruth 16:43, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

A genius boy probably named Mikel, Japanese American, liked natto very much. This might be the origin of the rumor.Nabimaru-jp 09:40, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] More "facts" from that TV program

No evidence, but I'm told (by a Japanese) that the program that lied about natto's weight loss advantage also said that natto "is very popular in England" which is patently untrue (I'm British). They must have been on a real pro-natto tip!
138.243.129.4 12:49, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Controversy?

Should this section really be in the article? It's interesting, certainly, but it doesn't seem particularly relevant. The controversy surrounds the television show more so than natto itself. At the very least, the section ought to be renamed. Bloodbeard 21:23, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

Tend to agree - in the grand scheme of an encyclopledia article this amounts to little more than a triva titbit. The article is about natto, not a TV show's publicity stunt. ShizuokaSensei 23:27, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
Have taken it upon myself to remove said section, and also the following section which lists some TV shows which natto has appeared in. This is little more than trivia which adds nothing to the article. We can't possibly begin to list natto's TV appearances in an encyclopdia article. ShizuokaSensei 23:34, 18 June 2007 (UTC)