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

in Nov. 1981, we decided to hold a series of classes on
natural foods processing, including a class on making
tempeh at home. (Tempeh was completely unknown around
here at that time.) We also began to make tempeh for our
own consumption, but ended up setting up a small shop in
our apartment. Because of the limited space, our tempeh
production never went beyond 50 pounds per month, in
spite of the large demand. So after a year or so, as we had
originally planned, we handed the business over to a couple
of friends who, unfortunately, for many reasons, were not
able to continue tempeh production.
“However there is now another group of people making
and selling tempeh here in Rio: Jurema and Mariá Paulinho,
Rua Raimundo Correia, 27, apt. 504, 22.040 Rio de Janeiro
(RJ), Brazil. Phone: (021) 237-7897. We will always be
available for providing any kind of information about or
classes on tempeh. One of our dreams is to see tempeh
introduced in Brazil’s tropical northeast, where an incubator
would not be necessary.
“At present we are involved in setting up miso and koji
production in our house in the mountains of Minas Gerais for
the coming year (1986). It’s an old dream, but it looks like it
will fi nally come true. At fi rst it will be a small-scale farmhouse
style production.
“Miso and shoyu, as well as tofu, are soy products with
a long history in Brazil, mainly due to the large number of
Japanese immigrants in Sao Paulo. There are many shops
there and some here in Rio which sell Oriental products,
including miso, shoyu, tofu and natto. Nevertheless, they are
usually semi-industrialized and include sugar, preservatives,
etc. among the ingredients.
“Production and consumption of quality miso, shoyu,
tofu and natto only began with the arrival of Tomio Kikuchi,
a student of George Ohsawa’s and one of the fi rst people
to introduce macrobiotics to Brazil. Until today the best
known good quality miso and shoyu are the miso and shoyu
distributed by Kikuchi’s Instituto Princípio Unico. There are,
however, other good misos as well.
“Instituto Princípio Unico, Sao Paulo (SP); Arma-Zen
Produtos Naturais Ltda., Rio de Janeiro (RJ); Terrazul, Nova
Friburgo (RJ).
“We’re sure there are many, many small producers of
quality miso and shoyu all over Brazil, but we don’t know
their addresses. There is also a large company which claims
to devote part of its production to naturally-fermented
miso and shoyu, with no sugar. The company’s name is
Tozan. Their factory address is: Bairro Carlos Gomes s/nº,
Campinas (SP); phones: (011) 278-2495 or (011) 278-5826.
“There are also two individuals who have a lot of
experience in making miso and koji at home. They are
available to provide information as well. They are: Dr. Sakae
Maki, Praia de Botafogo, 428, s/304, Rio de Janeiro (RJ),
phone: (021) 266-0503; Edson Hiroshi Seó, Fazenda Escola,
45.260 Poçoes (BA), phone: (073) 431-1108.
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 358
“We will continue to give classes on making homemade
miso here in Rio, and we plan on eventually turning our
small miso shop in the mountains into a school. We will
always be available for any type of assistance or information
concerning soy products.
“Several years ago the Brazilian Government tried to
introduce soybeans in the public’s diet. It was a complete
fi asco, mainly because of the lack of information on the part
of the authorities. They simply tried to introduce soybeans
as a substitute for the traditional black (turtle) beans, and soy
milk as a substitute for cow’s milk. It didn’t work.” Address:
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1128. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1986. Ryôri no
barieeshon: Natta o tsukutta hozonshoku roku-shu [Cooking
variations: Six people offer recipes for using natto]. Feb. 21.
p. 9. [Jap]
• Summary: The recipes are: (1) Soboro nattô. (2) Nattô no
hachimitsu-zuke. (3) Sakaru-zuke. (4) Tôzô. (5) Nattô-sake.
(6) Hoshi-natto. Address: Japan.
1129. Rocheman, Marc. 1986. Les aliments fermentés
derivés du soja [Fermented foods derived from soya].
Biofutur No. 43. p. 34-42. Feb. [8 ref. Fre]
• Summary: Gives the composition and nutritive value of
various soy products: tofu, fermented tofu (sufu), miso,
natto, shoyu, and tempeh. Describes the possibilities for
use of koji, as a source of proteases and peptidases, in the
production of these fermented foods.
1130. Tsuji, K.; Tsuji, E. 1986. Effect of natto-feeding on
cholesterol level of rats. Eiyogaku Zasshi (Japanese J. of
Nutrition) 44(1):41-44. Feb. [16 ref. Jap; eng]*
1131. Ferguson, Jane. 1986. The secrets of making sushi.
Guardian (England). March 7. p. 18.
• Summary: At the kitchen in the prestigious cookery
bookshop, Books for Cooks (4 Blenheim Crescent, London
W1), Lesley Downer teaches a class in the Japanese art of
sushi making. She explains that the ingredients can include
“spinach, mushrooms and the infamous natto (fermented soy
beans),...”
1132. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1986. Tenpe no hansoku
ni hongoshi. Zenkoku Nattô Rengôkai Tenpe Fukyûkai
tairyô na panfu o sakusei [They’re putting real effort
into promoting tempeh. The Japan Natto Assoc. Tempeh
Popularization Group has published many pamphlets].
March 21. p. 10. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: Pamphlet title is “This is the health food of
the 21st century.” Goro Kanasugi is head of the Tempeh
Popularization Group. Address: Kyoto, Japan.
1133. Nihon Keizai Shinbun.1986. Nattô, Tai ni sato gaeri.