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

of natto: Raw materials, natto in East Asia (History of
natto, natto in China {douche} [doushi / douchi], natto in
Japan {itohiki-natto, cracked natto, yukiwari-natto, barley
natto, salted natto, dried natto, soboro-natto, how natto is
used in foods}, tua’nao [thua-nao, tua nao] {incl. pe-pok
in Myanmar and tau’si in Laos}, kinema, chongkuk-jung,
dawadawa [the starters for these products are Bacillus
subtilis], making of natto in the home).
Production and consumption. The fermentation process.
Materials used for traditional and modern natto production.
Modern manufacturing methods: Storage of raw soybeans
and purifi cation process, processes of washing and soaking,
steaming and inoculation processes, natto-fi lling process,
fermentation process, refrigeration and aging process, second
packaging and shipping processes.
Change from traditional process to modern
manufacturing process: Cultivation and storage of raw
soybeans (traditional, modern), selection. washing and
soaking, steaming and inoculation, fi lling, fermentation, fi rst
refrigeration, packaging, second refrigeration. Critical steps
in the manufacture and fermentation of natto. Important
problems in the industrialization of natto: Soaking,
steaming, fi lling, fermentation Optimum conditions for
fermentation: Initial stage of fermentation (lag phase),
middle stage of fermentation (log to stationary phases),
latter stage of fermentation (death phase). Microbiology and
biotechnology: Determinative or systematic characteristics
of natto bacilli, difference between natto bacilli and other
B. subtilis as natto starters, enzymes and other materials
produced by natto bacilli. Other aspects of the microbiology
of natto: Phages of natto bacilli, plasmids of natto bacilli.
Chemical and biochemical changes during fermentation:
Soybean characteristics on steaming, relationship between
the components of natto and those of soybeans, changes in
soybean constituents during fermentation (carbohydrates,
fatty acids, organic acids and other volatile components),
size of soybeans, steaming condition. Starter cultures:
Marketed starters, development of new starters. Contains 26
fi gures.
In 1999 in Japan, about 130,000 metric tons per year
of soybeans are used to make about 260,000 tons of natto
or 5.20 billion 50-gm packages worth 160.5 billion yen.
Approximately 500 companies make natto in Japan, but the
10 largest companies account for 85% of total production.
Concerning hikiwari natto (cracked natto) (p. 195):
Parch soybeans than crack them into 3-4 pieces for use as a
raw material, instead of whole soybeans, for making natto
(itohiki nattô). Cracking reduces the soaking time to 3-4
hours.
Concerning yukiwari natto (p. 195): It is one of the trade
names of “Barrel natto” and a special product of Yamagata
prefecture, located in northeastern Japan. To make it at home
or on a small commercial scale, mix 18 kg cracked natto, 9
kg of rice koji, and an appropriate amount of salt in a large
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 550
wooden barrel. Allow it to ferment until ripe.
Note 2. This is the earliest English-language document
seen (Jan. 2012) that uses the term “tua-nao” to refer to thuanao.
Address: 1. Kyoritsu Women’s Univ.; 2. Biotechnology
Inst. of Natto, Suzuyo Kogyo Co. Ltd. Both: Tokyo, Japan.
1795. Nattô de yarikuri reshipi: aidea mansai. Zenreshipi
nedan o hyôji [Budget recipes using natto: Full of ideas. All
recipes include prices]. 2004. Tokyo: Gakken. 81 p. 26 cm.
[Jap]*
1796. Nattô rooshon ando nattô sekken [Natto lotion and
natto soap]. 2004. Tokyo: Shufu no Tomo-sha. 66 p. 26 cm.
[Jap]*
1797. Seo, Yukiko. 2004. Ketteiban tôfu, nattô aburaage
[Defi nitive recipes for tofu, natto, deep-fried tofu pouches].
Tokyo: Shufu no Tomosha. 207 p. Illust. (color). 24 cm.
[Jap]*
1798. Shiraishi, Atsushi. 2004. Hada ga uruô nattô rôshon
[Moisturizing skin, natto lotion]. Tokyo: Makino Shuppan.
79 p. 29 cm. [Jap]*
1799. Steinkraus, Keith H. ed. 2004. Industrialization of
indigenous fermented foods. 2nd ed. Revised and expanded.
New York, NY & Basel, Switzerland: Marcel Dekker. xix +
796 p. Illust. Pseudo-Index. 24 cm. Series: Food Science and
Technology No. 136. [508 soy ref]
• Summary: This book contains the following chapters
on soyfoods: 1. Industrialization of fermented soy
sauce production centering around Japanese shoyu, by
Danji Fukushima. 2. Industrialization of Japanese miso
fermentation, by Hideo Ebine. 4. Industrialization of
Japanese natto, by Kan Kiuchi and Sugio Watanabe (incl.
yukiwari-natto, a special product of Yamagata prefecture,
p. 196). 11. Industrialization of tempeh fermentation,
by Kapti Rahayu Kuswanto. 12. Tempe production in
Japan, by Michio Kozaki. It also contains chapters on the
industrialization of the production of sake, tapai, African
beers, magehu, ogi, gari, Mexican pulque, Thai fi sh sauce
(nam pla), Thai fermented fi sh and related products, and
Myanmar fi sh paste and sauce.
The fi nal chapter is titled “Industrialization of
indigenous fermented food processes: Biotechnological
aspects.”
Soy-related chapters are also cited separately.
Note: Cornell Prof. Emeritus Keith H. Steinkraus died
on 13 Nov. 2007 at age 89. He was a specialist in indigenous
fermented foods and food microbiology. Address: Inst. of
Food Science, Cornell Univ., Geneva, New York.
1800. Watanabe, Aya. 2004. Nattô bôya [Natto boy]. Tokyo:
Gakushu Kenkyujo. Unpaginated. Illust. (color). 25 x 22 cm.