Nattō, if you can bear it

Aurélien Baron, International Affairs Division
Takano Foods

Here we are. I still cannot believe I made all this way to see this. Am I crazy enough to visit a nattō (納豆, fermented soy beans) factory when I can hardly stand its very strong smell, strong enough to burn my nostrils? I guess so. I am challenging myself by going to one of my most feared food enemies' camp base. I am torn between the thought of having to bear what is a stench to me and my hunger for curiosity. Yes, I am hungry but I will not eat these fermented beans today, I will rather nourish myself with information about what is said to be one of Ibaraki's prides. Carly, who came with me, was lucky because she had a cold and couldn't smell a thing!

You will find this factory in Ogawa, a small town near Ishioka. You really need a car to get there as the station is at least a 10 minute drive away. The factory, Takano Foods, is famous nationwide for its nattō and we got the opportunity to see the manufacturing process of this unique dish. Takano Foods has been making nattō and other soy bean products in Ibaraki for over 70 years. The visit to their factory is actually really interesting. And they do not torture you and have you eat it by force. Anyone is welcome to come along to look for themselves, but it is best to make a booking first by telephone so you can have a tour guide come along too.

Here are the Ten Commandments to make a good nattō:

  1. Thou shalt make a careful selection of Soy Bean Grains (大豆の粒 or Daizu No Tsubu)

    2. The selection is made grain by grain, thanks to automation. Most of the beans are actually being imported from the USA and China.

  2. Thou shalt clean the beloved beans.

    3. Modern machines such as automatic washers render this task "nattō" too difficult (the one who gets the joke will be awarded a bean). For Japanese language learners it is a Jidou-Senjouki (自動洗浄機) that does this work.

  3. Thou shalt soak the clean beans in water for 12-16 hours until they expand in volume to reach twice or three times their original size.

    4. This stage is called Shinshi (浸漬 or Soaking). It is a very technical word; you would hardly ever hear someone use it in a conversation.

    Nattō Bacteria
  4. Thou shalt cook the beans for 50 minutes to make them tender.

    5. This is called Jousha (蒸煮)

  5. Thou shalt "inoculate" the cooked beans with bacillus nattō (納豆菌 or nattō-kin)

  6. Thou shalt put the mixture in cups or packs (盛り込み or Morikomi).

    7. This process is where (not a lid but) a transparent film, the Himaki, with tiny holes is placed on top of the cups to let air do its fermentation job later.

  7. Thou shalt transfer the cups in the fermentation rooms (発酵室 or Hakkou-Shitsu) where a constant temperature of 40 degrees or so must be maintained along with a high level of humidity.

    8. After 18 hours, the beans have their sticky (ねばねば) quality that either pleases the happy consumer or turns off a coward like me. I almost forgot to tell you, the smell appears during this key stage. Maybe it is the time to confirm one fact. As a Frenchman, I am regularly said that nattō can be compared to French cheese. This is partly true in the sense that I can not eat very stinky cheeses. This is a turn-off to me, not to mention the taste. But although I can eat most of French (not too smelly) cheeses, I can not eat nattō at all. The strong smell is repulsive indeed.

  8. Thou shalt slow down the fermentation process by leaving the fermented beans in a fridging room (冷蔵室 or Reizou-Shitsu).

    9. This will lead to a safe maturation (熟成 or Jukusei) of the product. It is not recommended to re-ferment nattō (再発酵 Sai-Hakkou) by allowing it to get warm again.

  9. Thou shalt proceed to "conditioning" (包装 or Housou).

    10. During this stage workers have to make sure they are labeling properly the cups and packs and especially mention as precisely as possible the "Best before" date. For example, nattō that was ready to eat on February 27th should be eaten before March 7th. In other words the expiry date (賞味期限or Shoumi-Kigen) is usually 9 days after completion in the manufacturing process.

    The finished product

    By the way, at the end of a day, this company will have produced ONE million packs and cups of nattō ready for mass consumption. Each pack is approximately 50 grams so just imagine how much nattō that is! Maybe the fact that people there work 24 hours a day on a 3-shift rotation basis can explain this huge figure.

  10. Thou shalt eat the nattō, if you like it.

    11. The Kanto-area is the largest consumer in all Japan. OR you shalt use it as a mass destruction weapon along with super fermented cheese in any conflict around the world.

Jokes aside, the visit of the plant is very instructive, though not accessible to anyone since it is only in Japanese. I hope this gives you a better idea of how nattō is made. If intend to go there, you might need a translator or a friend with abilities in your mother tongue to fully appreciate the tour, but you can use this guide to help you.

Takano's Logo, an Okame

Takano Foods Factory Tour and Museum
Access : 1542 Aza Noda, Onuma-Gashira, Ogawa
A 30 minute drive from Chiyoda-Ishioka Interchange on the Jōban Expressway
A 10 minute taxi from Hitachi Ogawa Station on the Kashima Testudo line.
Telephone : 0299-58-5101
Entrance Fee : Free
Opening hours : 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Website (Japanese only): http://www.takanofoods.co.jp/



FACTS ABOUT NATTO

  • The term nattō officially appeared in Kanji (漢字 Japanese Characters) for the first time during the Heian era (平安時代 794-1185).
  • It was officially recognized as a national dish during the Edo era (江戸時代 1603-1867)
  • There are over 500 Nattō companies in Japan
    • The more you mix, the stickier it gets . . .
  • There is a National Nattō Day in Japan. It is on July 10th because when this date is pronounced in Japanese, it sounds like the word "nattō" (7-na 10-to)
  • Before machines and modern techniques appeared, the production method was the following for centuries : the beans were wrapped in bundles of rice straw (稲ワラ Ina-Wara). The bacillus contained in the straw plays such an active part in the fermentation that it is called bacillus nattō.
  • Nattō was supposedly discovered by accident, the beans having been forgotten and abandoned to fermentation. Rumors and legends are numerous, but one very popular seems to be the one of a priest that stored for a too long time beans in his Nassho (納所 or temple office for receiving offerings or donations) You notice that the 2 words 納豆 (Nattō) and 納所 (Nassho) share the same first and Kanji, a character widely used in words related to tax collection.
  • The bacillus nattō lives in the body for one week or so.
    • Shovel that nattō in!
  • Nattō is a breakfast product that many Japanese now cannot do without. It has been proved good for your health since it is rich in vitamins. The vitamin B2 is said to have lipolysis qualities and to be effective in terms of arteriosclerosis prevention. Finally the sticky part helps in the digestion process; Vitamin E; Vitamin K, very important for blood coagulation and bone metabolism.
  • Nattō researchers are giving a new life to the fermented beans by extending the possible range of consumption. How could you imagine a century ago that one could eat nattō pizzas, nattō Miso soups, nattō on fried rice? You can also have it plum-flavored or sweeter for those like me worried with the strong smell and taste (Ama-Nattō 甘納豆 or sweet nattō). For consumers that long for Spiderman superpowers, there is also a super sticky variety of nattō. Nattō can apparently be fun to eat! There are 60 different sorts of nattō available from Takano Foods. This makes 60 good reasons (almost one reason per week) to live your nattō-mania life up to its limits.
  • The Northern and Eastern part of Japan seem to consume more than the Western area. It is said that the Japanese from Kansai are reluctant in a large proportion to nattō. Ibaraki is the largest producer and consumer of nattō.
    • Nattō Eating Competition in Mito
  • Mito is well known throughout Japan for it nattō, but the reason why is not well know. We asked at the factory and they had a bit of trouble deciding on an answer. In the end they decided that is was just someone's good marketing. When the Jōban line was created during the Meiji Period, someone started to sell nattō as a souvenir at the train stations along the line. From that point on, it caught on and Japan was hooked on Mito's nattō.
  • Mito has its own "Speed Eating Nattō Competition" every year. It is held in early March on the banks of Lake Senba. The 2006 competition has already taken place but watch out for next year's event. Many gaijin take part and there are even special prizes for those international entrants! The fastest time was eating 5 servings of nattō this year was 1 minute 4 seconds. It was not a good sight to watch or smell.