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

Canton described by Thiersant), fermented soymilks.
Part V: Industrial uses of soybeans. Oil based: soap,
wax candles (bougie), and paint oils. Protein based: sojalithe
or soy stone which corresponds to lactite, insulators for
electrical apparatus, glue, etc. Conclusion. Addendum
(Complément) to Part III, Chapter 1: Soybean straw and
stems. Composition of various seeds, including soybeans.
Soy fl our. The cakes from oil mills. Soymilk and the cake
from soy dairies (tourteau de laiterie, okara).
A very interesting table (p. 66-67, which does not appear
in the original 8 articles) shows earlier nutritional analyses
of the composition of soybeans by Steuf (from Hungary,
Mongolia and China), Schroeder, Caplan, Pellet (from China,
Hungary, Etampes), Muntz, Nikitin (black soybeans from
Russia, 2 samples), Lipski [Lipskii] (yellow, from Russia),
Giljaranski (yellow from Russia, China and Japan; black
from China and Japan; green), König (Hispida platycarpa
black, Tumida yellow, brown and black), Prinsen (white from
Java and China), Goessmann, Kellner, USDA, Chemiker
Zeitung (white from Java and China, 29 Jan. 1896), Scuff
(misomame; miso soybeans), Zulkovski (yellow from China,
reddish brown from Mongolia), Institut Agr. de Vienne
(Austria; yellow from Vienna, reddish brown from Tirol),
Ecole Imp. et Roy d’Ag. Hong (yellow from Mongolia and
China, reddish brown from China), Chez M. Olivier Lecq
(from Moravia), Lechartier (Etampes and black), Joulie
(yellow), Stingl and Morawski, Bloch (yellow, green, and
black), Balland, Cavendish Evelyn Liardet (yellow, brown,
green, black, and white), Jardin Colonial (Laos, Tonkin,
China), Aufray (Tonkin, Yun-nan), Homes Laboratory (black
from China, or white). Photos and illustrations are the same
as those referenced in individual sections of the book, except
for the following: A fi eld of soybeans (p. 16). A soybean
plant growing in Europe (p. 17). Color illustrations appear
facing pages 12, 22, and 64. Address: Li is from Societe
Biologique d’Extreme-Orient (Chine). Grandvoinnet is from
Ingenieur Agricole (G.).
103. Muramatsu, S. 1912. Preparation of “natto.” Eighth
International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Original
Communications 18:251-63. Section VIIIb: Pharmaceutical
Chemistry. Held 4-13 Sept. 1912 in Washington and New
York, USA.
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. Soya beans. Rice straw.
Cellar. The preparation of natto. The microbes of natto:
Bacillus no. 1, bacillus no. 2, bacillus no. 3. The application
of cultured bacteria for the preparation of natto. Natto as a
food accessory.
Natto is “a kind of vegetable cheese made by fermenting
boiled soy beans wrapped in rice straw and set in a warm
cellar one or two days. Thus the product becomes white and
mucliageous [mucilaginous] by the development of bacteria.
Natto is consumed as an accessory after having been mixed
with table salt and several stimulants, amongst others the
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 68
powdered mustard is preferred. It is chiefl y consumed
in Tokyo and the north-eastern districts of Japan and for
the production of it Aizu is the noted place. It is chiefl y
consumed in Tokyo in the summer time, but in the north-east
during the winter time, as these are rather poor in vegetables
at that season.” The author prepared natto with the different
types of soya beans grown in Japan “and could not fi nd a
more suitable kind than the small yellowish white bean.”
The straw serves to fl avor the product as well as to
permit ventilation and so keep down the content of free
ammonia. The various organisms found in the samples
examined were isolated and described. “I express many
thanks to Dr. Satô, Director of our College.” Address:
College of Agriculture, Morioka, Japan.
104. Sawamura, S. 1912. On Bacillus natto. Eighth
International Congress of Applied Chemistry, Original
Communications 14:145-47. Section VIb: Fermentation.
Held 4-13 Sept. 1912 in Washington and New York, USA. [1
ref. Eng]
• Summary: Natto is prepared by wrapping boiled “soyabeans”
in rice straw then leaving them in a warm place
overnight to ferment. The author formerly isolated two
species of bacteria from natto obtained in Tokyo. Over the
years, he has examined bacteriologically many natto samples
obtained from various places and found that all contain
“Bacillus natto,” which produces natto of good fl avor and
strong viscosity. He then gives a detailed bacteriological
description of this bacillus, including: Form, mobility, sporeformation,
Gram’s method decolorization, oxygen needs,
scum in bouillon, scum in pepton water, agar plate culture,
gelatine plate culture, agar streak culture, gelatine streak
culture, agar stab culture, gelatine stab culture, soya bean
agar, potato, gas, azolithmin-milk, indol, hydrogen sulfi de
gas formation, etc. Address: College of Agriculture, Imperial
Univ., Tokyo [Japan].
105. Muramatsu, S. 1912. On the preparation of natto. J.
of the College of Agriculture, Tokyo Imperial University
5(1):81-94. Oct. Journal name also written as Tokyo Noka
Kiyo. Also published in 8th International Congress of
Applied Chemistry, Orig. Comm. 18:(251-63). [Eng]
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. Soya beans. Rice straw.
Cellar. Preparation of natto. The microbes of natto; Bacillus
no. 1, 2, and 3. The application of cultured bacteria for
the preparation of natto. Natto as a by-food (incl. table of
nutritional composition of fresh and fermented natto).
“There are several kinds of natto prepared in Japan,
but here I mean common natto, which is a kind of vegetable
cheese made by fermenting boiled soya beans wrapped
in rice straw and set in a warm cellar for one or two days.
Thus the product becomes white and mucilageous [sic,
mucilaginous] by the development of bacteria. Natto is
consumed as a by-food after having been mixed with