Natto Fermented Soybean Advanced Applications
Ibaraki Prefecture (Mito) — though consumed across eastern Japan
Natto (納豆) is fermented soybeans inoculated with Bacillus subtilis var. natto, producing the characteristic stringy, sticky mucilage (polyglutamic acid) and deeply savory, ammoniated flavor beloved in eastern Japan, reviled elsewhere. Mito (Ibaraki) is historically considered natto's capital. While most natto is consumed simply over rice with mustard and soy, professional applications are increasingly sophisticated: natto pasta, natto pizza (Tokyo trendy), natto vinaigrette for salads, and natto incorporated into miso for complex layered fermentation. The strings (neba neba) become less pronounced when natto is beaten vigorously — beating also activates nattokinase enzyme activity.