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

added salt, but 125 milligrams of sodium per ½ teaspoon
come from the natural sodium in the soybeans.)
“Unlike soy sauce, Bragg Liquid Aminos is not
fermented, making it an ideal seasoning for those who suffer
from yeast sensitivities. Delicious added to stir-fries or plaincooked
grains. It is readily available in health food stores.”
Also in natural food stores.
Daikon, dulse, gomashio, hijicki / hizicki [sic, hijiki],
job’s tears, kombu, kuzu (kudzu), kuzu kiri, lupins, miso,
mochi, natto, nigari, nori, peanut butter, peanuts, quinoa,
rice–brown, rice cakes, rice syrup, sea vegetables, tamariroasted
seeds, seitan (wheat gluten), sesame butter (tahini),
sesame oil, sesame seeds, shoyu, soybeans, soybeans–black,
soy cheese, soy fl akes, soy fl our, soyfoods, soy grits, soy ice
cream, soy milk, soynuts, soy oil, soy powder (powdered soy
milk), soysage, soy sauce, soy yogurt (fermented), tahini,
tamari soy sauce, tempeh, tofu, umeboshi plums, wakame,
wasabi, winged beans. Note: Also contains recipes for many
of these glossary items.
A color portrait photo on the inside rear dust jacket
shows Lorna Sass–with a brief biography; she is a culinary
historian, cookbook author, and food writer. Address: Box
704, New York City, NY 10024.
1433. Tamang, Jyoti P. 1992. Studies on the microfl ora of
some traditional fermented foods of Darjeeling hills and
Sikkim. PhD thesis, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling,
India. 224 p. *
• Summary: Products closely resembling kinema include:
Hawaijar (Manipur in North-East India [NEI]). Bekang-um
(Mizoram in NEI). Troombai (Meghalaya in NEI). Akhoni
(Nagaland in NEI). Itohiki-natto (Japan). Tooa-nao [Thuanao]
(Northern Thailand). Chungkook-jang (Korea).
Note 1. This is the earliest document seen (Jan. 2012)
that uses the word “Akhoni” to refer to a fermented soyfood
from Nagaland and a close relative of Nepalese kinema and
Japanese natto.
Note 2. This is the earliest document seen (Oct. 2010)
that mentions “Bekang-um” (also called “bekang”), a close
relative of Nepalese kinema and Japanese natto.
Note 3. This is the earliest document seen (Oct. 2010)
that mentions “Troombai,” a close relative of Nepalese
kinema and Japanese natto.
Note 4. This is the earliest document seen (Jan. 2012)
that contains the word “Tooa-nao,” an alternative spelling for
thua-nao, a close relative of Nepalese kinema and Japanese
natto, or the alternative spelling “Chungkook-jang” for
Korean-style natto. Address: Univ. of North Bengal, NBU
734430, District of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.
1434. Agri-Book Magazine (Exeter, ONT, Canada).1993.
Beans in Canada. 19(3):1-23. Jan.
• Summary: This entire special issue is about soybeans
in Canada, with emphasis on soybean production. The
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 443
magazine is printed with soy ink. Articles include: Top yields
with no-till. Ten myths about conservation tillage. Ontario
Soybean Growers’ Marketing Board Newsletter–new format
(insert). Ad for symposium “Soybeans in Canada: Beyond
100 Years,” organized by the Ontario Soybean Growers’
Marketing Board, to be held 28-30 March 1993 in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada at the Regal Constellation Hotel; gives
names and photos of speakers. Breeding the soybeans of the
future. Genetic ingenuity.
In the Newsletter, an article titled “Profi le of Larry
Miehls, Soybean Board Chairman,” notes: “Sixty-fi ve
percent of Ontario’s soybeans are grown in fi ve counties–
Essex, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, and Elgin... Today the
majority of acres goes to two Ontario crushing plants.
Twenty percent of the crop is exported and half of that
is for human consumption.” Therefore breeders need to
concentrate on developing soybeans with more sugar, more
protein, and less oil. “There is also a trend toward whole
roasted beans for animal feed, and I see this as a major area
of growth... For food quality soybeans, Japan remains the
board’s largest export customer.
“Pacifi c rim customers are interested in buying Ontario
soybeans because of their high quality. Canada is also
credited with strict grading standards, good processing
people–the cleaners and the baggers–and farmers who keep
up-to-date. Natto and tofu quality soybeans are popular
among the Pacifi c rim customers. ‘The breeders have done a
good job of developing beans to meet customer needs...
“’The Harovinton, a tofu bean, was developed at the
Harrow Research Station with a lot of board support. It’s
really starting to take off,’ says Larry.”
1435. University of Illinois, Dep. of Agronomy. 1993.
USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection: Public varieties
(United States and Canada). Urbana, Illinois. 3 p. Feb. 16.
Unpublished typescript. 28 cm.
• Summary: Lists 338 public soybean varieties that are
currently in the USDA Germplasm Collection. For each
variety is given: Year the variety was licensed or released.
Maturity group. Code letters for the following: Stem
termination (indeterminate, semi-determinate, determinate),
fl ower color, pubescence color, pubescence form, pubescence
density, pod color, seed coat luster, seed coat color, hylum
color, and other unique characteristics.
Across the top of page 1 is a horizontal table. In the top
row are 13 maturity groups from 000 to X. In the second row
are the number of varieties belonging to each maturity group,
plus the total (338).
Note: This document was sent to Soyfoods Center by
Dr. Richard Bernard in Dec. 1998. On it he wrote a “v”
to the left of the following varieties, which he believes to
be a large-seeded vegetable-type soybeans: Disoy (1967),
Emerald (1975), Grande (1976), Kahala (1969), Kaikoo
(1969), Kailua (1969), Kanrich (1956), Kim (1956), LS201