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

669. Kozaki, Michio. 1976. Fermented foods and related
microorganisms in Southeast Asia. Proceedings of the
Japanese Association of Mycotoxicology No. 2. p. 1-9.
March 20. [16 ref]
• Summary: Table 1, “Main fermented foods using
molds, yeasts or bacteria in Southeast Asia,” contains four
columns: Name of fermented food, raw materials, main
related microorganisms, and remarks (incl. names in other
countries). Fermented foods listed include amazake (tapé
/ tapeh in Indonesia, with Rhizopus instead of Aspergillus
oryzae), tempeh, sufu, ontjom, natto (soy bean fermented
with Bacillus subtilis var. natto; Teranatto [fermented black
soybeans] is same as original miso, Taosi in Philippines).
Table 2, “Main fermented foods using molds plus
bacteria, molds plus yeasts, yeasts plus bacteria and molds,
or yeasts plus bacteria in Southeast Asia,” contains the same
four columns. Fermented foods listed include soy sauce
(Aspergillus oryzae, Saccharomyces rouxii, Pediococcus
halophilus; called Jan [kanjang] in Korea and Thua nao [sic]
in Thailand), Miso (same 3 microorganisms as in soy sauce).
Address: Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture, Dep. of Agricultural
Chemistry, 1-1, Suragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.
670. Ito, Hiroshi. 1976. Hamanattô [Hamanatto]. Nippon
Jozo Kyokai Zasshi (J. of the Society of Brewing, Japan)
71(3):173-76. March. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. A brief history
of Hamanatto. Methods of production: Yamaya and
Horinji methods, Daifukuji method. The microbiology
and chemistry of Hamanatto fermentation. Hamanatto’s
special characteristics. Serving Hamanatto. Conclusion.
Acknowledgments.
Two fl owcharts show Hamanatto production methods
at Horinji and Daifukuji. Tables: 1. Distribution of various
microorganisms in Hamanatto (cells per gram) at Yamaya,
Horinji, Daifukuji. 2. Nutritional composition of Hamanatto
(from Yamaya, Horinji, and Hamana), Daitokuji natto, and
regular sticky natto. 3. Composition of free amino acids (mg
per 100 gm defatted, and gm per 10 gm protein) in Yamaya
Hamanatto, Daitokuji natto, Yamaya Hamanatto, soybean
miso (temperature controlled- and natural fermentations),
and Hatcho miso. 4. Composition of Hamanatto fats. 5.
Volatile acids in Hamanatto. 6. Aromatic compounds in
Hamanatto.
In Japan, there are basically two types of natto:
Regular natto (itohiki-natto) and salty natto (shiokaranatto).
Generally the word ‘natto’ refers to the former but in
Shizuoka prefecture in and around Hamamatsu city a type
of salty natto called hamanatto is famous. Totally unrelated
to regular natto except in name and the fact that both are
fermented soyfoods, it is actually a close relative of soybean
miso in terms of its fl avor and the way it is produced.
However unlike miso, the soybeans retain their original
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 228
form, uncrushed, and the product has its own unique fl avor
and aroma. Another type of salty natto is Kyoto’s Daitokujinatto.
A brief history of hamanatto: Hamanatto originated in
ancient China and is one of the progenitors of today’s miso
and shoyu. Many old documents show that its relatives
kokusho (‘grain chiang’) and teranatto (‘temple natto’) were
brought to Japan from ancient China. A type of fermented,
salt-preserved cooked soybeans called tou-ch’ih kyo was
excavated together with articles buried with one Mao-tai, a
ruler of the early Han dynasty who lived about 2200 years
ago. This was the earliest form of hamanatto. According to
the fi rst scholars and envoys from Japan to T’ang dynasty
China, chiang and kuki, both progenitors of miso and shoyu,
were introduced to Japan from China. Records show that
the great T’ang dynasty Buddhist master Ganjin, who came
to Japan by boat in 753, brought with him 1428 gallons of
‘sweet kuki,’ an early type of salty natto. The fi rst mention of
salty natto in Japan appears in Fujiwara Akihara’s Shinsaru
Gakki / Shin Sarugakuki, written in 1286 [Note: Others give
the date as 1068]. The fi rst character of the word ‘natto’
means ‘to pay, supply, or dedicate;’ the second means ‘bean
or soybean.’ According to the Honcho Shokkan, written in
1697, the fi rst character was derived from the fact that natto
were fi rst prepared in Japanese temple kitchens which are
known as na-ssho, the place which supplied the monk’s
food. Since the propagation of salty natto throughout Japan
was done primarily by temples, they also came to be known
as ‘temple natto’ (tera-natto). They served as an important
source of protein and savory seasoning in the Buddhist
vegetarian diet. Kyoto’s Daitokuji-natto, Ichimei Ikkyujinatto,
and Tenryuji-natto, each made in temples, and the
Hamanatto made at Daifukuji and Horinji temples in and
around Hamamatsu city are popular to this day. Hamanatto
fi rst became known when the monks of Daifukuji temple
presented some to the seventh Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga
Yoshikatsuko, during the 1400s. during the Warring States
Period (1467 to 1568) they also presented Hamanatto to
lords of the families of Imagawa Toyotomi, and Tokugawa.
Note: This is the earliest document seen (Nov. 2011) that
mentions “Ikkyuji” or “Ichimei Ikkyuji” in conjunction with
Daitokuji natto.
Because of its unique fl avor and aroma and good
keeping qualities, hamanatto became known throughout
Japan. in some cases the skin of sansho seeds (Japanese
pepper; Zanthoxylum piperitum) were mixed in and the
product called kara-natto (‘spicy natto’). When Toyotomi
Hideyoshi undertook his Korean campaigns, he took lots
of hamanatto with him. When he arrived in the ancient
province of Hizen in northwest Kyushu, just before his
soldiers embarked in boats to Korea, he gave this food the
same name, kara-natto, but written with characters which
mean ‘beans for subjugating T’ang dynasty Korea.’ This
name, he hoped, would bring him luck in his campaign. After