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

home with soy beans, ‘natto spore’ (now available at major
health-food dealers on both coasts), a pot, and a box... If
allowed to sit too long on store shelves, the beans become
overripe. Although you cannot check the quality until you
open up the package at home, the best natto should have a
light, tannish color and still be moist and a little puffy. Too
dark a color indicates overripening and a correspondingly
bitter taste. To remedy this situation somewhat, stir the
beans together with chopsticks or a spoon and combine with
chopped onions, wasabi horseradish, and soy sauce. Since
this food is the result of bacterial action, no preservative can
be used. Thus, natto should be eaten as soon as possible.”
Mr. Udesky had a chance to prepare homemade soy
sauce while living with Mr. Noboru Muramoto (author of
Healing Ourselves) from 1971 to 1975. In the Appendix
titled “Oriental, natural, and specialty food stores” is an entry
(p. 153, col. 3.8) for: “Foods for Life, 504 E. Broadway,
Glendale, California, 91025.” Note: This pioneering natural
and organic food store is still in business in 1988.
For a complementary review, see Jean Pearce. 1991.
Nov. 10. Japan Times.
Letter from James Udesky. 1997. April 21. The
hardcover edition of The Book of Soba has now sold 12,000
copies in Japan and abroad, and 3,000 copies of a new softcover
pocketbook edition (246 p.; 18.2 cm) were published
by Kodansha International in Dec. 1995. An article on soba
titled “The Art of Noodles,” by Udesky appeared in Japan
Quarterly (April-June 1997, p. 32-42; it contains a large
color photo of him rolling out soba dough). Udesky is living
in Tokyo, has lived in Japan (except for a 3-month break in
1988) since 1988, married a Japanese woman in 1990, for
the last 2 years has worked for a medical equipment importer
and taught English part-time at Dentsu Inc. to survive
fi nancially, has established a company named Udesky
Communications, and continues his practice of making
traditional Japanese soba. He has plans for a new book
titled “Basic Techniques of Udon Making. “ Address: Heim
R1 #103, Meguro Honcho 6-18-3, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152,
Japan. Or: The Soba Center, P.O. Box 72, Winnetka, Illinois
60093-0072.
1271. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1988. [A study of the
amount of money spent on tofu, aburaage, and natto]. July
21. p. 3. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: From Jan. to April 1988, a total of 25.99 cakes/
household were sold, which is 98.8% of last year’s fi gure
over the same amount of time. During the same period,
however, natto consumption rose, 8% in January (over
last year at the same time), and 15.8% in April. Aburaage
consumption was slightly down, only 95.1% of last year’s
total in January, and 94.3% in April.
1272. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1988. Heri tsuzukeru
nattô seizô shisetsu sû: Tsuini 900 no ôdaiware [The number
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 396
of natto manufacturers in Japan continues to decrease: It
fi nally dropped below 900]. July 21. p. 35. [Jap; eng+]
• Summary: There are now less than 900 natto manufacturers
in Japan, the lowest it has ever been. In December of 1987,
there were 898 natto manufacturers in the country. The
number has been steadily dropping by about 2% per year.
The problem is that natto manufacturers cannot fi nd anyone
interested in taking over the business.
1273. Watashi no Kenko (My Health).1988. Atarashii nattô
tenpe wa kôshite taberu. Indonesia no kusakunai nattô
[Here’s how you eat the new natto, tempeh. Indonesia’s natto
that doesn’t smell]. July. p. 147-62. [Jap]
• Summary: A popular introduction to tempeh containing
nutritional information and recipes.
1274. Obafemi Awolowo University, Institute of Agricultural
Research and Training. 1988. Soyabean recipes: Integrated
farming systems programme. Ibadan, Nigeria: Obafemi
Awolowo University. ii + 30 leaves. Sept. 25 cm.
• Summary: Contents: Processing of soyabean for recipes
utilization. Pre-preparation of soyabean (wet base for
soyabean paste, or soya milk and residue [okara], or dry
base for full-fat fl our). Soya milk (homemade). Soyabean
vegetable soup (with whole ground soybeans). Soya ewedu
soup (with soyabean fl our or okara). Soya gbegiri soup.
Soya iru [dawa-dawa]. Soya ogi. Soya eko. Soya akara. Soya
moinmoin. Soya pudding (with okara or soya fl our). Soya
ikokore (with soyabean paste). Soya amala (with soya fl our).
Pounded yam with soyabean paste. Soyabean meat bytes
(with soyabean fl our). Soya burgers (with soyabean paste).
Soya meat (with soyabean paste). Soya snack (with whole
dry soybeans). Plantain soya pancake (with soya fl our). Soya
banana fritters (with soyabean fl our). Soyabean candies (with
dehulled whole soybeans). Soyabean fl our Queen cakes.
High protein soyabean fl our biscuits. Soyabean bread. Soya
pancake. Soya puff-puff. Soya ojojo. Soya aadun. Guidelines
for growing soyabean. Address: Inst. of Agricultural
Research and Training, Obafemi Awolowo Univ., P.M.B.
5029, Moor-Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria.
1275. Seed Industry.1988. Sigco Sun to produce soybean.
Nov. p. 22.
• Summary: A new (and as yet unnamed) small-seed
soybean variety, which is about two-thirds the size of Chico
and matures about two weeks later, will be used for the
manufacture of natto in Japan. Natto, a fermented food, is
often served with rice or sushi.
The new variety was developed by the University of
Missouri. “Sigco Sun Products, Breckenridge, Minnesota,
has been awarded the exclusive right to produce and market
the new” variety.
1276. Shapiro, R. 1988. Re: Interested in making some natto.