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

increases fi vefold. Natto sells best in the winter, whereas
tofu sells best in the summer. A photo shows Mr. Nagayama
standing in front of a blackboard, holding some papers.
824. Hesseltine, C.W.; Wang, Hwa L. 1980. Fermented
foods. Food Trade Review 50(9):473-79. Sept.; 50(10):543-
45. Oct. [4 ref]
• Summary: Discusses shoyu, tempeh, wheat soya tempeh,
sufu, natto, koji, miso, ragi, and soy yogurt. Address: USDA
NRRC, Peoria, Illinois.
825. Hodgson, Moira. 1980. Restaurants: Sushi and more
and new Italian. New York Times. Oct. 10. p. C22.
• Summary: A review of Sushiko, a small Japanese
restaurant in New York City between Broadway and Eighth
Avenue, which has a “sushi bar.” Inexpensive side orders
include: “Natto, mustard-colored fermented soybeans, gooey
and unusual, were seasoned with mustard, chopped scallions
and soy sauce, and had an extraordinary and subtle fl avor,
tasting slightly smoky, resembling food that has been cooked
over charcoal. Bean curd came in large moist squares in a
bowl of water, accompanied by a sauce of dried tuna [sic,
bonito] fl akes and scallions mixed with soy.”
Paper-thin yakinori (toasted nori) could be used as a
wrap for natto. Spectacular nasu shigiyaki was an eggplant
sliced in half, covered with miso sauce, and grilled.
Misoshiru [miso soup] is a rich brown soybean soup. Tofu is
added to a tossed American-style salad.
826. Noda, Kosaku; Igata, K.; Horikawa, Y.; Fujii, H.
1980. Synthesis of gamma-glutamyl peptides catalyzed
by transamidase from Bacillus natto. Agricultural and
Biological Chemistry 44(10):2419-23. Oct. [25 ref]
• Summary: It is well known that the sticky mucilage of
natto is a mixture of polyglutamic acid (PGA) and fructan
produced by Bacillus natto. Address: Lab. of Biochemistry
and Lab. of Microbiology, Fukuoka Women’s Univ., Higashiku,
Fukuoka 813, Japan.
827. Okunev, O.V.; Tikhonova, T.N. 1980.
Elektroforeticheskoe razdelenie fragmentov DNK v
agaroznom gele [Electrophoretic separation of DNA
fragments in agarose gel]. Molekuliarnaia Biologiia
(Molecular Biology) (Kiev, USSR) 26:23-26. Oct. [15 ref.
Rus]
Address: Institut molekuliarnii biologii i genetiki AN USSR.
(Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Academy of
Sciences, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic).
828. Barber, Linda. 1980. Re: Thinking of writing a book
about natto in English. Letter to William Shurtleff & Akiko
Aoyagi at New-Age Foods Study Center, Nov. 7. 1 p.
Handwritten (aerogram).
• Summary: Thank you for sending a copy of Tofu and
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 268
Soymilk Production. “I’m spinning from all the new
information.”
“I wrote to you before about my work with tofu in Japan
and now I’m beginning to study natto as well. Through my
interest in tofu I met Hisao Nagayama (author of Natto no
Shimpi and free lance writer about food culture). He wants
to work with me, hopefully, to get a book about natto in
English. I really feel honored but because of our language
barrier, there are many problems. I remembered that the
Center has many resources and, I hope, about natto! I don’t
need the slides you advertized in your catalog, but any other
information would be great! Could you let me know what is
available and how much it would cost?”
“Thank you...”
Note 1. Linda and a Japanese author wrote a booklet (25
pages) in Japanese titled Tôfu, Nattô Ryôri [Tofu and Natto
Cookery] which was published in Japan in 1981.
Note 2. Nishinomiya is a city located in Hyogo
prefecture, Japan, between the cities of Osaka and Kobe.
Address: c/o Kobe College, 4-1 Okadayama, Nishinomiya,
662 Japan.
829. Andoh, Elizabeth. 1980. At home with Japanese
cooking. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. 254 p. Illust. by
Michiko Fujiwara. Index. 25 x 22 cm.
• Summary: A beautiful, intimate and very useful book,
approachable and suffused with a unique tranquility and
charm. The illustrations (line drawings) are exquisite.
Contents: Acknowledgments. Introduction. A note
about the romanization of the Japanese language (Hepburn
system). In the Japanese kitchen: Techniques and equipment–
Grilling, broiling, steaming, braising and simmering, frying,
dry roasting, grinding, crushing and mixing, using knives
(four types, and how to hold and use them), skewering,
straining and mashing, grating, pots and pans, miscellaneous
equipment (chopsticks, rice paddle, rice tub, fl at fan, bamboo
mats, bamboo trays, metal mold, etc.). Meals and menu
planning. The recipes: Soups, rice, noodles, braised and
simmered foods, grilled and skillet-grilled foods, deep-fried
foods, steamed foods, mixed, sauced and tossed foods,
pickles, sweet things and beverages. In the Japanese kitchen:
Foodstuffs. Suggestions for ordering Japanese foodstuffs, A
glossary of Japanese terms.
The very helpful glossary includes (soy related):
Abura agé: fried bean curd [tofu]. Aka miso: dark bean
paste [miso]. Daizu: dried soybeans. Eda mamé: fresh
soybeans. Kikkoman: brand name of soy sauce. Kinako: soy
fl our [roasted]. Marukomé miso: brand name of medium
fermented bean paste. Miso: fermented bean paste. Miso
shiru: soup thickened with fermented bean paste. Natto:
fermented sticky soy beans. Okara: by-product of fresh tofumaking.
Saikyô miso: light bean paste, a brand and regional
name. Sendai miso: dark bean paste, a brand and a regional
name. Shinshû Ichi miso: medium bean paste, a brand and