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

Group (Kenkyu-kai) has its regular meeting twice a year
and 60-70 people (including himself) typically attend. A
very good and popular restaurant in Shibuya, Tokyo, named
Jembutan Mérah (Red Bridge), features many delicious
tempeh dishes. They feature ethnic foods, including Thai and
Vietnamese cuisines. The chef of the restaurant used to work
with Torigoe Seifun. Their tempeh is made by the village
cooperative shop in Hyogo prefecture (initiated as part of
a local community activation program). This tempeh shop
ships their tempeh all over Japan, including to the Indonesian
embassy in Tokyo, several Indonesian restaurants in Tokyo,
and to individuals who order it. The only other tempeh shop,
also part of a village activation program, is led by Prof.
Kazuko Noguchi (a woman) of Saga. When Mr. Kanasugi
died, the natto people discontinued their interest in tempeh.
All the large private companies (Marusan, Torigoe Seifun)
also stopped. Address: Tajimaya rice company, International
Affairs, Japan.
1441. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1993. Nattô chûshin ni
shinpojiumu: 94 nen 6 gatsu Akita de kokusai Nattô kaigi
hiraku [Symposium centered on natto: International Natto
Symposium will be held in June 1994 in Akita]. July 21. p.
27. [Jap]
1442. Executive Committee Secretariat. 1993. The Roots
of Biotechnology in Monsoon Asia: The Third Asian
Symposium on Non-Salted Soybean Fermentation and
International Soybean Food Fair. Akita Cultural Center,
Akita City, Japan: 4-6 June 1994 (Leafl et). Akita, Japan. 2 p.
July.
• Summary: The executive committee for this event is:
Chair: Prof. Tadao Watanabe. Vice-Chair: Prof. Fumio
Yamauchi. Indonesia Advisor: Dr. Darwin Karyadi. United
Nations University (UNU) Food and Nutrition Programme
Advisor: Dr. Abraham Besrat.
The symposium hopes to focus on South-South
cooperation for technical transfer of soybean technologies
(koji, tempe, natto) to Africa in order to alleviate an
impending protein crisis beyond the year 2000.
Program outline: Part I: International Soybean Food
Fair–Industrial/commercial exhibition and cooking
demonstration of ethnic cuisine using soybean products.
Part II: Public Symposium–World soybean overview
with perspectives for international technical cooperation
in Africa. Part III: The Third Asian Symposium on Non-
Salted Soybean Fermentation. Session 1. Koji for fermented
soybean (Kikkoman, Nagano Miso Institute, China,
Korea, Akita). Session 2. Natto in Asia–Microbiology,
enzymology, health-medical studies. Kinema of Nepal,
Tuanao [Thua-nao] of northern Nepal, Bhutan. Session 3.
Tempe (Overview by Dr. Darwin Karyadi, contributions
from Indonesia, Germany, USA, Japan and others–on
microbiology, biochemistry, nutrition, physiology, medical
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 446
studies, cooking, and industrial development). Part IV: The
Role of Soybeans in Africa–The Perspective beyond 2000
(organized in cooperation with UNU Food and Nutrition
Program). Sessions: Agriculture of Sub-Saharan Africa
and soybean development (World Bank, IITA, JICA). Tofu
technology adapted to West Africa (Dr. Nakayama, IITA).
Indigenous fermented legumes in West Africa. Introduction
of soy into Sub-Saharan African diet. Achievements of UNU
Tempe Training Program (Indonesia/UNU; with Poster
presentation of UNU funded research). Proposal on South-
South cooperation.
Technical tours will be organized from three
participating countries: Indonesia, USA, Germany. Address:
c/o Akita International Assoc., Aidex Building 8th fl oor, 2-1-
60 Sanno, Akita City, Japan 010. Phone: 0188-64-1181.
1443. Hachmeister, Kathleen A.; Fung, Daniel Yee-Chak.
1993. Tempeh: A mold-modifi ed indigenous fermented food
made from soybeans and/or cereal grains. Critical Reviews in
Microbiology 19(3):137-88. [185 ref]
• Summary: An excellent review of the literature. Contents:
Introduction. Mold-modifi ed indigenous fermented foods:
Miso, shoyu (soy sauce), hamanatto, sufu, fermented
rice (sierra rice), tapé (lao-chao), ang-kak, ogi, tempeh,
ontjom (oncom, lontjom), bongkrek (tempeh bongkrek),
kenima. Processing developments in legume tempeh
manufacture: Traditional tempeh fermentation, industrial
production of tempeh, methods of preparation (cleaning,
dehulling, hydration and acid fermentation, partial
cooking, draining, cooling, and surface drying, inoculation,
fermentation containers, incubation, harvesting, storage,
and preservation, uses and preparation of tempeh).
Organoleptic properties of tempeh. Microbiological aspects
of legume tempeh: Microbial ecology, traditional and
modern soaking methods, effect of soaking, acidifi cation,
and initial bean pH, effect of boiling prior to inoculation,
effect of Klebsiella and Enterobacter, effect of lactic
acid bacteria and yeasts, microbiological safety and
quality, heating prior to consumption. Nutritional quality
of legume tempeh. Chemical and biochemical changes
in legume tempeh: Changes in protein and amino acids,
changes in carbohydrates, changes in lipids, antioxidant
potential, changes in minerals, changes in vitamins.
Antinutritional factors associated with legumes: Flatulenceproducing
factors, protease inhibitors, tannins, phytic acid,
hemagglutinins, other antinutritional factors. Cereal grain
tempeh–practical applications: Background information,
materials and methods, results and discussion, conclusions
and future developments. Summary. References. Address:
Dep. of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State Univ.,
Manhattan, KS 66506.
1444. Toyo Shinpo (Soyfoods News).1993. Atopii ni kiku:
Amaransezu nattô [Effective against atopy: Amaranth natto