Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented Soybeans - read up on it at Wikipedia if you have not come across it.
The smell is incredible and I still have not acquired the taste for it. Many Japanese people cant eat it too. Have you tried or come across Natto?
The maki sushi with the poo like substance is Natto - me wife loves it ^^;
Posted on 2008/05/08 10:38
Director/代表取締役
Registered on 2006/12/11 11:06
Photography
Registered on 2007/11/01 15:55
i wonder if the taste is as bad as the smell? i hear they're a little on the sweet side.
R-1 in the "Hagane" docking bay
Personal Trooper
Registered on 2007/07/05 20:49
It's sweet because of the soy sauce used. Horseradish mustard also gives it a light kick. But without either, the taste is indescribable. Like bitter gourd, without the bitter.
Makes a good quick breakfast though. I Have a small supply on hand when I'm in a rush. Just top on some freshly cooked rice and voila, carbs and protein (add egg yolk if you so feel like).
Lyris in Tatebayashi, Japan
NET
Registered on 2008/05/05 17:11
The taste is not very bad, a little salty and bitter. Definitely the smell is terrible, especially if you leave it out too long. Fresh natto is not so smelly. Week old natto is.
Although I don't see what the problem is. It's not as bad as people think.
Nice complement to breakfast sometimes, yes.
Student
Registered on 2007/08/09 05:36
"The maki sushi with the poo like substance is Natto" LOL you make it sound funny Danny.
Natto, hmm... I would try it out of curiousity, I've never heard of it before. Sounds as though many don't like it...
Sushi on the background looks delicious, soy sauce...
University Student
Registered on 2007/11/25 13:43
yuck.. i doubt i'll like it since i hate drinking soybean milk >___<
宅男 Otaku/ 工程师 Engineer
Registered on 2007/06/11 14:57
oh yes. 納豆. my mum cooks them with fish. ^^;
Stigmata Martyr
Registered on 2007/04/22 12:13
i'll try anything once, never had natto before.
NEET (no, student...)
Registered on 2007/08/03 08:36
I started eating natto, after Moyashimon. And since then, it's not bad... But it does need it's condiments...
Leisure Consultant, Writer, Webmaster
Registered on 2008/01/29 07:28
Natto is good! At first I used to hate it, but after I got used to it, I like it a lot.
chun in home feeling sleepy LOL
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
Registered on 2007/01/09 14:33
LOL!!! I tried it once, and I do not want to try it anymore :P and oh! have U ever had the stinky tofu (in HK/Taiwan?) gawd that one is even worse! to me it smells like diarrhea :P
Meat Puppet
Registered on 2007/11/04 18:16
Does natto taste and smell like stinky tofu? I've tasted stinky tofu while holding my nose. While it taste okay I'm sure no one would kiss me after.
chun in home feeling sleepy LOL
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
Registered on 2007/01/09 14:33
nope, natto taste weird, like fermented poo? okay maybe not fermented poo but the smell of fermentation is not very pleasant :P As for stinky tofu the taste is not exceptional, it just tasted like regular bean curd to me, but smell so damn bad :P esp the boiled kind omg cannot eat after one bite ^^;
I prefer silken tofu any day o_o
Student/Young artist
Registered on 2008/03/11 07:19
Oh yeah i remember having stinky tofu.. haha whenever there's a gross smell it seems like my parents always say it "must be stinky tofu." I prefer natto because i kind of acquired a taste for it over time, although i could never eat it alone.
Student, Spiral Warrior
Registered on 2008/02/04 10:01
I haven't tried (nor do I plan on trying) the stinky tofu here, but I have tried natto once or twice, and the smell, at least, isn't at all the same. As Chun says, stinky tofu is more like diarrhea, while natto is more along the lines of gym socks.
chun in home feeling sleepy LOL
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
Registered on 2007/01/09 14:33
LOL!!!! gym socks... oh boy :P
ひきこもり/Hikikomori. Suits my current state more than a 大学生/University Student. ^^
Registered on 2007/12/04 23:16
So there is a food that smells worse than natto? Omg.. >_<
dannychoo.com no aidokusha
Registered on 2007/12/25 23:02
there was a night market size of a football field that smelt so bad because there was a store selling stinky tofu
btw, has anyone tasted durian? which is worse - natto, stinky tofu, durian, or used pantsu?
ひきこもり/Hikikomori. Suits my current state more than a 大学生/University Student. ^^
Registered on 2007/12/04 23:16
I like durian.
My father loves it, so I've known it since I was little and I just grew to like it.
R-1 in the "Hagane" docking bay
Personal Trooper
Registered on 2007/07/05 20:49
You guys talking about the black tofu?
student
Registered on 2007/03/21 09:30
Natto is good but a bit slimey especially when you add a egg :P,which is why you need to mix it really well with rice. I like to add soy sauce and hot mustard to mine as well ;P.
Poor College Student
Registered on 2008/03/14 09:02
i once ate stinky tofu and i still cant forget about it.tasted goood but smelled extremely horrible.felt like my breakfast was going to come out
Student
Registered on 2008/03/08 16:19
i heard natto has natural estrogen in it or something along those lines.
I wouldn't mind trying it tho :P
In Insanity Hell
Registered on 2008/03/13 03:33
At first during my childhood I didn't like it and now it's a ok....but sushi makes me drool...
Hikikomori
Registered on 2007/08/22 05:30
Poo or vomit? YOU CHOOSE!
Well, it is rotten soy beans after all.
:P
I tried it! It's part of my policy on food. I also tried horse sashimi, living little fish, and other stuff (hmm, now that Danny reminded me of it, I'll make a post on it soon on my blog).
I also didn't like natto. It was not as nasty as I first thought it would be, but still...
The worst part for me is that it gets all yucky, pulling strings and stuff.
And I can't deal with stuff like that.
I associate with... no, I won't even mention it or else people who likes it or are going to taste it will change their mind.
chun in home feeling sleepy LOL
part time illustrationist, doll clothing seamstress
Registered on 2007/01/09 14:33
Online Shop
Registered on 2008/01/17 11:35
I never ate any natto whenever I go to Japan, I just have some innate fear for it -_-
Raven, AMV & MAD maker, Otaku
Registered on 2008/01/02 12:55
so do i . . even though they sell em here . . i still fear in buying one <.<~~~
Musically inclined Pervert
Registered on 2008/05/06 21:07
oh! my mother loves eating that...
but there natto day I'll eat that
haha! get it? "not a day" I'll eat that ahahaha .. oh I crack myself up.
Stigmata Martyr
Registered on 2007/04/22 12:13
Musically inclined Pervert
Registered on 2008/05/06 21:07
teacher
Registered on 2008/02/23 20:14
my friend once described the taste as a mix of plhegm and vomit... I think she nailed it. I won't even go near it, it's nasty. I accidentally ate it without knowing what it was...My taste buds will never be the same again :(
Time Traveling Esper
Registered on 2007/12/23 00:46
I love eating Natto. I eat it for breakfast almost every morning, but with wheat bread instead of rice because too much rice will make you fat. The tsuyu and mustard really make it better. It's also a good source for protein at the very least?
The only bad thing is that here, it costs about 180 yen for a pack of four! So eat all the natto you can -_-
Registered on 2007/01/20 17:05
I tried it once and didn't like it. It 's all sticky and has no taste at all. =/
Non-profit org. volunteering work addict
Registered on 2006/12/31 22:48
Well, it is listed in the "acquired taste foods" for a reason... I don't think I ever came across it and surely am not eager to try it either.
Network Admin
Registered on 2007/11/24 04:49
Military/米国空軍
Registered on 2008/04/16 16:31
Natto is one of the most disgusting dishes I've ever had. It's reminiscent of beans in STP oil... >.<
Military/米国空軍
Registered on 2008/04/16 16:31
My parents, on the otherhand, love it...
Student, Spiral Warrior
Registered on 2008/02/04 10:01
As my Japanese teacher once told us, and as everyone's comments seem to show fairly well, natto is one of those love-it-or-hate-it dishes in the acquired taste category. While I don't think it's delicious, exactly, I don't mind it, and will choose to eat it largely to gross out my natto-despising acquaintances.
College Student
Registered on 2007/05/14 09:37
I never tried and never will
ソフトウェアエンジニア
Registered on 2007/12/30 07:26
納豆か… いいだろう、別に… 食べた事ない人一回だけでいいから、食べて見てね！
Musically inclined Pervert
Registered on 2008/05/06 21:07
yes yes .. I would have to agree with you in that...
haha very hilarious indeed XD
Henry in Makati, Philippines
anime/cosplay events organizer
Registered on 2006/12/25 19:17
i'm curious of natto and i could try it out someday ^^
Time Traveling Esper
Registered on 2007/12/23 00:46
They sell it in Makati, near Makati Cinema Square. Look for a small shop called Co-op (beside Sango)that's across Little Tokyo, that's across Makati Cinema Square. I think they also sell it for a bit more expensive in Yamazaki Mart, which is in Little Tokyo itself.
R-1 in the "Hagane" docking bay
Personal Trooper
Registered on 2007/07/05 20:49
Or, look for a shop called "Conbini" in Greenhills. It's along the road where Conti's is. 60 for pack of 4.
Student
Registered on 2007/09/10 23:14
I've always wanted to try Natto since watching Moyashimon. Can anyone describe the taste?
Software Engineer
Registered on 2007/11/06 13:37
I didn't find it ALL that bad ... and i had advanced nato they tell me ... still, it's not something i really want to have again though. Take it or leave it.
Student
Registered on 2007/10/11 08:30
never tried natto but would like to one day.
Part human, part student, 100% loser
Registered on 2007/10/22 02:10
I would like to try some to in the future... Maybe could even make some sort of dare game... Who eats more natto wins a free figure!
Registered on 2008/05/08 18:36
coming from a person that likes his tofu,soy milk, stinky tofu,tempeh and all manners of soybean products....
smells like damp hay...not stinky but just unpleasant... not as bad as stinky tofu which you can smell from across the street...you probably cant smell natto if you were standing more than 2 metres away.
taste like...well...plain boiled soybeans. bland, i always eat it with soy sauce provided. natto always comes packed with a small sachet of soy sauce and mustard.
has a very slimy constituency...the more you stir it, the slimier it gets.
its supposed to be a very healthy food packed with nutrients.
the taste isn't particularly endearing but if i had to eat it everyday, i will eat it just to piss off my brother who cant stand it.
kaeze in Melbourne, Australia, Earth
Illustrator & Designer
Registered on 2007/04/09 18:37
I've yet to try natto but the description of it definitely doesn't sound too endearing... but I will try it one of these days since I like stinky tofu! ^__^
Student
Registered on 2007/08/22 12:50
my sis absolutely loves this but I can't stand the smell! Even the smelly tofu is better than this...
Tami in Germany - Cologne
WebDesign, Coding, Administration
Registered on 2007/12/16 10:42
I did smell it once, that was enough of a shock to me... when the person did eat it i was close to faint. :P
Nah, going a bit overboard... but i don't want a second encounter, if something does smell bad theres no way it would make it's way into my mouth, not even just for trying if it does taste different then it smells.
Just the expierience of... ughhh smells baaaad then you eats it and it tastes good... weird, eating it with a clothes pin on your nose?
Student
Registered on 2007/06/20 01:24
I've tried it, its awful.
Polytechnic Freshman. Mmm... fresh.
Registered on 2007/01/25 21:20
Copywriter
Registered on 2008/02/23 14:42
same here. tried it twice and didn't like it.
IT Guys
Registered on 2007/09/16 03:54
Fermented soybean eh? In Indonesia, it's called Tauco and there are two flavors, sour and sweet. We usually use them as food seasoning :D
オタク by moonlight, Graphic Designer by daylight
Registered on 2007/11/08 03:37
No thanks. I can't eat it at all! X(
Tried it couple times and still couldn't enjoy it.
Programmer
Registered on 2008/04/29 10:59
Student
Registered on 2008/02/18 07:18
I was really curious about natto actually until I found some. My god it reeked! never again.... never again....
Mind Navigator
Registered on 2007/09/04 11:37
Describing it as poo-like substance and then me looking at it differently, I must say: I'm staying away from Payday candy bars for a while.
Software Quality Engineer
Registered on 2008/02/22 08:14
Hahaha. Last summer, while visiting my fiancee's family in Sendai, Japan, my soon-to-be-mother-in-law served me natto for breakfast. I was extremely shocked by the strong, intense stench. I knew I could get beyond it, but then the sticky, stringy, slimy texture made my stomach turn. I am sure the look on my face was hilarious! It was definitely a classic "gaigokujin" moment that must have been very entertaining for the whole family. I forced myself to choke it down. Despite this, I am determined to try it again and acquire a taste for it! :-D
Stinky tofu has a much more horrible, powerful, nasty smell, but the texture is normal and it tastes quite good!
kiwiii in Australia; Malaysia; Singapore.
Struggling Student.
Registered on 2008/02/18 09:15
my friend accidentally got some into her hair once, *i'll leave it to your imagination how that happened* and yea... it looked like one of those eroge scenes with all the stick strands :D
Stigmata Martyr
Registered on 2007/04/22 12:13
......(O_O).....
did anyone get a nosebleed when that happened?
Software Quality Engineer
Registered on 2008/02/22 08:14
LOL! That's some smelly eroge! Ewww...
Chef, Full fledged Otaku, Full time Observer.....
Registered on 2008/02/02 00:26
oh natto my fav...
but really its an aquired taste only...
its either you love it or you really hate it...
Software Consultant, Business Intelligence
Registered on 2008/02/01 19:51
I never get used to Natto, so I advoid it like plague :D
O_o Working o_O
Registered on 2007/12/19 16:31
i LovE SusHi good tAste. Um, like is Ebi, Lee, ShRiMp and California
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