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

in the following lists and selected classifi cation of varieties.
“It is not to be assumed that these lists of names
represent all of the varieties grown in these countries. In fact,
they are only a selected number from the varieties introduced
into the United States during the past 50 years. It was
interesting to note that some of the Chinese varietal names
were the same as those in Chinese literature dating back 100
years ago.”
“Selected classifi cation of Chinese soybean varieties:
“Seed Color: Black Belly, Chicken’s Foot Yellow,
Crow’s Eye Yellow, Crow’s Skin Green, Flesh Yellow, Musk
Deer’s Skin Yellow, Parrot Green, Raven’s Eye Yellow, Tiger
Skin.
“Seed Size: Great White, Large Black, Large Green,
Large White Eyebrow, Small Golden.
“Seed Shape: Flat Black Golden Round, Large Round
Black, Pearl Shape, Round Pearl, Small Round Green.
“Hilum (Seed scar): Flowery Eyebrow, Large White
Eyebrow.
“Maturity: August Green, Autumn Azure, Burst Pods
in Six Months, Eighth Month White, Filth Month Yellow,
Melon Ripe, Midsummer Yellow.
“Pods: Five Month Broad Pod, Four Grain Green, Four
Grain Yellow, Iron Pod Green, Three Bean Pod, White
Podded Green.
“Leaf: Long Large Green Leaf.
“Pubescence: Hairy Green, Red Hair Green, Sixth
Month White Hairy, Yellow Hair Green.
“Utilization: Black Curd, Follow Rice, Round Cattle
Feed, Vegetable.
“Odd Names: Entwined Silk, Moon Tooth, Sparrow’s
Cackling, Unknown Water.”
“Selected classifi cation of Korean varieties:
“Seed Color: Barbarian Blue, Black Chestnut, Castor
Bean Skin, Golden, Indigo, Lacquer Black, Red Striped,
Rich Black, Widower (Black and White), Yellow Dragon’s
Eye.
“Seed Size: Big Green, Large Black, Small Blackeye,
Small Blue.
“Flower: Early White Flower, Large White Flower,
White Flower Pure Yellow.
“Hilum: Chotan White Eye, Green Eye, Purple Mouth,
Rensen Brown Eye, Small Blackeye, White Eye.
“Maturity: Aid For New Land, Black Sprout, Black
Vegetable, Edible, Millet Friend, Plant In Millet, Plant in
Wheat, Plant Between Crops, Rainy Season, Roasting,
Sprout.
“Habit: Climbing.
“Leaf: Bamboo Leaf.
“Birds: Crow’s Early, Domestic Geese, Pigeon, Skylark,
Swallow, Water Rail.
“Animals: Deer, Horse, Mouse, Red Rat, White Horse.
“Village: Anpen, Chotan, Tansen.
“Superior Varieties: Great Happiness, Plentiful, Prolifi c,
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 138
Rich, Rich and Virtuous.
“Odd Names: Beheaded, Clasped Hands, Cow’s Knee,
Flying Fish, Flower Garden, Peaceful, South Sea, Spirit of
the Wind, Turtle Nest, White Priest’s Foot, Wild Boar’s Hip.”
“Selected classifi cation of Japanese varieties:
“Seed Color: Black Autumn, Black Saddle, Brown
Spotted, Green Fool, India Ink, Mink Skin, Pretty Flesh
Color, Silver White, Yellow Jewel, Yellowish White
Blackeye.
“Seed Size: Large Green, Large Jewel, Large White,
Large White Ring, Small Blackeye, Small Bullet, Small
White.
“Seed Shape: Gingko Seed Shape, White Ball, Water
Caltrop Shape.
“Hilum (seed scar): Blackeye, Green Eye, No Eye,
White Eye, White Mouse Eye.
“Pods: Black Eye Long Pod, Black Pod Gold, Four
Seeded Yellow, Fox Pod, One Seed, Red Pod, Three Seeded
Pod, Two Seeded Pod, Yellow Pod, White Pod.
“Pubescence: Early Smooth, Green Non Hairy, Half
Smooth, Middle Season Smooth, Naked Devil, Non Hairy,
Smooth White, Smooth Devil, White Hair.
“Stems: Fan Shape Stem, Red Stalk, Single Stalk, White
Stem.
“Leaf: Five Leaf Saddle, Monbetsu Long Leaf.
“Habit of Growth: Akita Bunch, Bunching Maiden,
Doesn’t Touch The Earth, Dwarf, Very Bunched Pods.
“Maturity: August, Black Autumn, Early Gold, Middle
Season, October, Very Early Abundant, Yellow Fall,
Midseason Fox, Through Frost, White Autumn.
“Utilization: Devil Chaser [for roasted soybeans–
irimame], Forage, Miso, Natto, Paddy Field Boundary,
Produces in Shady Places, Soy Sauce, White Sprout.
Superior Varieties: Abundance, Abundant Pods, Brings
Treasure, Early Increase, Excessive Yield, Fortune, Heavy
Yield, One Hundred Percent Good, Small, Fortune, One
Thousand Pod.
“Animals: Early Fox, Mink, Mouse, Small Donkey,
Tiger.
“Birds: Crane’s Friend, Dove, Dove Killer, Sparrow,
Wild Duck, Wild Goose, Young Crane.
“Persons: Bingo’s White, Chichanari, Hachiya.
“Prefectures (states): Aizu, Chiba, Echigo.
“Shrines: Goshanari, Miyashiro, Zankonji.
“Villages: Chizuka, Hachirihan, Iwakiri.
“Odd. Names: Covered with Frost, Bright Country,
Elder Brother, Enter Priesthood, Heaven’s Bird, Old
Woman’s Cane, Pretty Girl, Through the Water, Under The
Snow, White Dog’s Foot.”
Photos show: (1) Bean curd [tofu] cakes being sold by
vendors on streets in Peking, China. In the Orient special
varieties of soybeans are used in the manufacture of bean
curd and many other soy products. (2) Korean farmers’
market day held weekly in the small villages. This offers