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

Under “Bacteria” are: Actinomucor elegans–Meitauza,
sufu. Aspergillus glaucus–Chee-fan. Aspergillus oryzae–
Hama-natto, ketjap, meju, miso, saké, soy sauce. Monascus
purpureus–Anka (ang-kak, beni-koji, red rice), hong-ru (laohong).
Mucor spp.–Chee-fan, ruhi, sufu. Mucor hiemalis–
Sufu. Rhizopus oligosporus–Tempe.
Under “Yeasts” are: Candida spp.–Soy sauce.
Zygosaccharomyces rouxii–Miso, soy sauce.
The section on “Major commercial fermentation
processes” includes (p. 752-53) soy sauce (from wheat and
soybeans) and miso (from rice and soybeans).
Note 2. Koji, the basis of soy sauce, miso, and saké
fermentations, is not mentioned in either of the fi rst two
tables. However it is mentioned by name on p. 753. Address:
1. American Inst. of Baking; 2. Prof. Emeritus, Kansas State
Univ. Both: Manhattan, Kansas.
1697. McMann, Mary Carol. 2000. Soy protein: What you
need to know. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam Inc. (Avery).
60 p. Index. 22 cm. Avery’s Nutrition Discovery Series. [74
ref]
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. 1. What makes
soy so special? 2. Cardiovascular disease. 3. Cancer. 4.
Osteoporosis. 5. Menopause and menopausal symptoms.
6. Incorporating soy (protein) into your diet. Conclusion.
Glossary. References. About the author.
Note: This book is copyrighted by Protein Technologies
International. Address: MPH, RD, LD, Houston, Texas.
1698. Wilkinson, Endymion Porter. comp. 2000. Chinese
history: A manual. Revised and enlarged. Cambridge,
Massachusetts: Harvard University Press / Harvard Yenching
Institute. xxiv + 1181 p. Index. 23 cm. Harvard Yenching
Institute Monograph Series, 52. 1st ed. 1998. [500+* ref]
• Summary: A remarkable and extremely valuable book.
Partial contents: Introduction: Recent historiographical
trends, center and periphery, periodization, the dynasties.
I: Basics. 1. Language. 2. Dictionaries. 3. People. 4.
Geography. 5. Chronology. 6. Telling the time. 7. Statistics:
Numbers and order of magnitude, population, weights and
measures, money, prices. 8. Guides and encyclopedias.
9. Locating books. 10. Locating secondary sources. 11.
Libraries.
II: Pre-Qin sources. 12. Archaeology. 13. Pre-Qin
archaeology. 14. Prehistoric signs and symbols. 15. Oracle
bone inscriptions. 16. The characters: Evolution and
structure. 17. Epigraphy. 18. From bamboo strips to printed
books. 19. Excavated and transmitted texts.
III: Historical genres. 20. Primary and secondary
sources. 21. Annals. 22. Standard histories. 23. Topically
arranged histories. 24. Miscellaneous histories. 25.
Government institutions. 26. Offi cial communications. 27.
Law. 28. War.
IV: Other primary sources... 35. Agriculture, food and
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 521
the environment. 36. Medicine. 37. Technology and science...
42. Foreign accounts of China.
V: Primary sources by period.
In the chapter titled “Agriculture, food and the
environment,” section 35.2.2 on “Pre-Qin foodstuffs and
cooking” (the Qin dynasty, 221-206 B.C., came just before
the Han) states that the staple dishes, cooked mainly by
boiling or steaming, were typically “accompanied by a
savory paste (jiang, misô in Japanese) made from hydrolyzed
(fermented) meat, fi sh, crustaceans, or, most important of
all, soybeans” (Footnote 8). “The soybean is indigenous to
northeast China. Its cultivation began in the Zhou period. It
was a major source of protein, especially for peasants and
laborers. Starting in the Yangzi valley, it was brined and
hydrolyzed into the characteristic Chinese fl avoring, soy
sauce (jiangyou) (9). By the Han, a new process had been
discovered; if the production was interrupted half way and
the beans dried, they became blackened and delicious. Along
with savory pastes (jiang) and pickles (zu), these fermented
soybeans (chi) were immensely popular (10).”
Footnote 8: See Zhongguo shiqian yinshishi (A history
of Chinese prehistoric food and drink), Wang Renxiang, ed.
in chief, Qingdao, 1997.
Footnote 9 (p. 638): “The origin of ‘soya’ in European
and other languages is from either xiyao [fermented black
soybean sauce] or shôyu (the Cantonese and Japanese for
jiangyou [soy sauce] respectively). The early generic word
was shu (Glycine max), later dou, and later still dadou to
distinguish it from post-Han imported pulses.”
Footnote 10: “Chi used to be pronounced shi. Other
names for chi were douchi, daku, and nadou (nattô in
Japanese).”
Section 35.2.3 on “New foodstuffs and cooking” covers
the period from the beginning of the Han dynasty in 202
B.C. Noodles (bing) were introduced. Soybeans (in the forms
of jiang and fermented black soybeans {chi}) remained an
important source of protein. Alfalfa (musu or mushu), peas
(hudou, modern wandou), and sesame (huma, modern zhima
or mazi) are said to have been introduced by Zhang Qian,
the emissary from the Former / Western Han dynasty. By the
Tang “bitter fermented blackened soy beans” (huchi) had
been introduced; hu means “barbarian.” Tofu (doufu) is fi rst
mentioned in the early Song dynasty. It was imported into
Japan and fi rst appeared there in a document dated 1183.
“It was used as a substitute for meat and fi sh in Buddhist
vegetarian cooking.” New World crops which made their
way into China from the 16th century include peanuts
(fandou, modern huasheng), chili, corn, sweet potatoes, and
tomato (p. 643).
Note: The author was educated in England. Address:
Head of Delegation and Ambassador to China for the
European Commission.
1699. Ibe, Sachie; Kumada, Kaoru; Yoshibe, Mineko; Onga,