History of Natto and Its Relatives (1405-2012 - SoyInfo Center

1922 April–The oil production department of Suzuki
Shokai [which went bankrupt in 1922] becomes independent
and founds Hohnen Oil Co., Ltd. (Hohnen Seiyu).
1923 Sept.–The Great Kanto / Tokyo Earthquake (Kanto
Daishinsai) strikes. 70% of the miso factories in the area are
burned down, causing a shortage of miso. But miso makers
in other parts of Japan use this opportunity to ship their miso
to Tokyo, and the people of Tokyo come to realize the good
taste of miso made elsewhere in Japan.
1924–Kodama Shizutoshi? (or Shintaro) invents another
quick method for fermenting shoyu (shoyu sokujo-ho) using
acid or alkali to hydrolyze soybeans or soybean cake to make
shoyu.
Note: This is the earliest document seen (April 2001)
that mentions shoyu made by acid hydrolysis. Address:
Norin Suisansho, Tokei Johobu, Norin Tokeika Kacho Hosa.
182. Horvath, A.A. 1927. The soybean as human food.
Chinese Economic Journal 1(3):298-309. March. [24
footnotes. Eng]
• Summary: Contents: Soybean milk for food: Introduction.
Preparation of soybean milk. Properties (Yu-P’i is Chinese
for yuba; Laxa). Market prices. Composition. Nutritive
value. New methods in the manufacture of soybean milk
(Prof. Laxa in Prague [Czechoslovakia], Li Yu-ying,
Soyama). Some dietetical advantages and applications of the
soybean milk. Condensed soybean milk and milk powder
(Soy Lac soybean milk powder made in America by Chard).
Soybean cake, soybean meal and soybean fl our as material
for soybean milk. Yu p’i and yu ba (yuba; also fu chu).
“In 1905, Li Yu-ying submitted a paper on the subject
[of soybean milk] to the 2nd International Milk Congress
in Paris, in which he emphasized that the introduction of
soybean milk to Western countries ‘will be highly benefi cial
to public health as well as to the budget of the poor.’ Also by
those who advocate and urge a vegetarian diet, a very strong
case can be made for this Oriental substitute” (p. 298).
According to Prof. Laxa: “Soybean milk, supplemented
with lactose and inoculated with a culture of yoghurt [yogurt]
bacteria, coagulates at 40º C. in 4 hours and gives a curd-like
acid mass” (p. 300).
“Market prices. In Peking soybean milk is sold in small
bottles in portions of about 200-220 cc. labeled ‘Bean milk,
a Chinese product, the most nourishing food, made by...’
For such a bottle, delivered daily, the big factories of Peking
asked in 1925 $1.00 (Mex.) per month. One liter of such
milk costs, therefore, about 15 cts. (Mex.)... A fi ne soybean
milk powder, called Soy Lac, has recently been prepared in
America by Chard” (p. 300-01). Note: This company (Chard)
was fi rst referred to by Piper and Morse in 1916 in USDA
Bulletin No. 439, “The soy bean, with special reference to
its utilization for oil, cake, and other products.” Soy Lac is
mentioned again by Horvath on p. 307.
A table (p. 302) compares the composition of soymilk
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 105
made in 3 locations (Tsinanfu, China; Peking, China; and
Japan) with that of human, cow, and goat milk. Human
milk has the lowest protein content (1.25%) and ash content
(0.25%); soymilk has about the same protein content as
cow’s milk (3.3%) but an ash content (0.40%) which is
higher than that of human milk but lower than that of
cow’s milk. Footnote: “To supplement the defi ciency of the
soybean milk in mineral constituents [such as calcium], it
is recommended by von Noorden and Salomon to add to
it the salt mixture of Pirquet, which consists of: sodium
chloride, 0.3 gm.; potassium chloride, 1.1 gms.; calcium
glycerophosphate, 1.7 gms.; magnesium lactate, 0.5 gm.;
ferrum glycerophosphate, 0.1 gm. This mixture is called
Nemsalz. If diluted in 1 liter of water it gives the same
percentage of salts as in women’s milk” (p. 302).
“In Germany the Soyama factory (in Frankfurt)
manufactures soybean fresh milk (mostly from soybeans),
soybean normal cream, and also condensed bean milk and
cream. Soyama bean milk looks like cow’s milk, contains
the same constituents, even in larger amount and in a state
of fi ner dispersion. Only its taste is different. According to
Fuerstenberg, Soyama milk can be qualifi ed as a special,
very valuable dietetic nutrient. The high lecithin content
of this preparation adds to its value too” (p. 306). A table
(p. 306, based on the analyses of Dr. G. Popp of Frankfurt)
shows the nutritional composition of 6 types of Soyama milk
and cream preparations: Normal milk. Milk for diabetics.
Milk for baking purposes. Normal cream. Cream for
diabetics. Cream extra rich in fat (especially for diabetics).
“According to von Noorden and Salomon, Soyama
preparations may be kept as long as almond milk and Paranut
milk. Soyama milk looks just like cow’s milk. By keeping,
cream separates and it must be shaken before using” (p. 306).
“In using Soyama milk and cream preparations, v.
Noorden confi rms the following statement of Fischer (for
vegetable milk in general): ‘1. In the stomach soybean milk
gives a much fi ner fl occulent precipitate than does cow’s
milk, produced by acid or even rennet. 2. The ingestion
of soybean milk results in a feebler (smaller) secretion
of gastric juice; the period of secretion is also shorter. 3.
The period of stay in the stomach of the fi nely fl occulent
precipitate of the soybean milk is shorter than that of the
casein-fat coagulum of cow’s milk. 4. The peristaltic motion
of the stomach is less after the ingestion of soybean milk and
more coordinated than in the case of cow’s milk, as shown
by X-ray investigation’” (p. 307).
“On the basis of these observations soybean milk
is recommended by v. Noorden in cases of gastric and
duodenal ulcer, states of peritoneal irritation, hypersecretory
conditions of the stomach, disturbances of the motility
of the stomach, uric acid diatheses, kidney disturbances,
conditions with edema where a food poor in sodium chloride
is required, Basedow’s disease, cholecystitis, cirrhosis of the
liver, diabetes, and in cases where a very nutritious diet is