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

soluble organic matter, 21.95, 41.55. Carbohydrates of soy
beans are mainly galactans, not much starch being present.
Note: This is one of the key early research articles in
understanding Bacillus natto, the natto bacterium.
Note 2. This is the earliest English-language document
seen (July 1998) that mentions polypeptides in connection
with soybeans. Address: Japan.
108. Friedenwald, Julius; Ruhräh, John. 1913. Diet in health
and disease. 4th ed. Thoroughly revised and enlarged.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: W.B. Saunders Co. 857 p. Illust.
24 cm. [4 soy ref]
• Summary: The section titled “The soy bean” (p. 124-26)
states: “This bean (glycine hispida), sometimes called the
soja bean, is an annual leguminous plant extensively used
as a food in China and Japan. Until recently it has been
regarded as a botanical curiosity in the Occident. It has
recently been extensively used in America as a forage crop
and to improve the soil if plowed under... There are a large
number of different varieties, which vary in size, shape,
color, and length of time they take to mature. Some are
grown exclusively for the oil they contain, and it is used for
culinary, illuminating, and lubricating purposes. The lightcolored
beans are eaten in soups, and the pods are sometimes
picked green, boiled, and served cold with a sprinkling of
soy sauce. The green varieties are often pickled in brine
and eaten moist or dried with meals as appetizers; the same
varieties are often sprouted, scalded, and served with meals
in winter as a green vegetable. The bean forms the basis of
the so-called soy sauces, used as a condiment all over the
world. The Oriental races most frequently eat the bean, in
more or less cheesy-like foods, which are prepared from it.
The most common of these are natto, tofu, miso, yuba, and
shoyu. Natto is a sort of bean cheese made by boiling the
beans until they become soft and then placing the resulting
mass in a warm cellar where it ferments. Tofu is made by
soaking the beans in water, crushing between millstones, and
boiling in about three times their bulk of water. The protein
is precipitated and the resulting cheese eaten. The white
milky liquid of the above has nearly the composition of
cows’ milk, and tastes something like malt. It may be used in
infant feeding to advantage (see same).
“Americans may eat the beans in numerous ways
described under the head of soy bean cookery in the recipes
at the end of this book. The bean is of particular value in
diabetic diets (see same). It may be used to increase the
protein of the diet.
There are variations in the composition of the different
varieties.” A table shows the chemical composition of yellow
soy beans grown in the USA, both as is and calculated on
a water-free basis. “The Cereo Company of Tappan, New
York, have made a soy bean fl our which is useful.” Its
composition is given. “The percentage of protein in this fl our
is almost one-third greater than the percentage of protein
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 70
in the whole beans. This is caused by removing the coarse
fi brous hulls which contain little protein.
“Vegetable food of such composition certainly is
remarkable when compared with round beef, medium”–
whose composition is given.
Soy fl our can be used as a gruel, in broths, and in
making biscuits. A table (p. 126) shows the “Composition of
fresh and dried legumes (incl. soy beans, cow peas, chickpeas,
peanuts) with that of other foods” (Based on Abel,
Farmers’ Bulletin No. 121 [1900, p. 17]).
The section on “vegetarianism” (p. 130-31) is the same
as that in the 1909 edition (p. 113-14).
In the chapter on “Infant feeding,” the section on “Other
food for infants” has a subsection on “The soy bean” (p. 297-
98) which begins: “In certain conditions the soy bean... is
of great value. In cases when milk is badly borne, in certain
forms of intestinal disorders, in diarrhea, and especially
in the convalescence after diarrhea, in certain cases of
marasmus and in malnutrition, the soy bean fl our, properly
used, is of great value. Each ounce contains 13 grams protein
and 120 calories.” A table shows the composition when
mixed with various amounts of water. Recipes for making
gruels are given.
In the chapter on “Diet in disease,” in the section titled
“Diseases in which diet is a primary factor,” is a subsection
on “The soy bean” (p. 592) states: “The bean contains about
8 per cent. of sugar and no starch, and furnishes a large
amount of available protein and fat.” “A patient on a strict
diabetic diet, who is excreting a certain amount of sugar, will
excrete less sugar when the soy bean is added to the diet. It
seems to be of particular value in severe cases. In addition
to this action, it is a very valuable food, both on account of
its nutritious properties and owing to the fact that it may be
prepared in a number of different ways, and so serves to vary
the diet.”
In the section on “Diabetic Foods” (p. 601-02) is based
on Winton (1906) and contains the same information,
including that about The Health Food Company of New
York.
In the chapter on “Recipes” is a section on “Bread” (p.
740-41) which includes whole-wheat bread, zwieback, and
bran muffi ns for constipation. The same chapter has a section
on “Soy bean cookery” (p. 766-69) with the following
recipes: Introduction, gruels, broths, muffi ns, nut-cakes, soy
bean cakes, breakfast food (like oatmeal), pancakes, soy
bean cheese (“In Seattle, Washington, and other places in
the West we are informed that tofu is made by the Japanese
and sold to the Oriental residents”). Goff (1911) offers the
following: Grilled soy bean [dry roasted soynuts], [whole]
soy beans with butter, soy beans au gras (fried with onions
and fat), bread or cakes of soy beans.
Note: Julius Friedenwald lived 1866-1941. John Ruräh
lived 1872-1925. Address: 1. Prof. of Gastro-Enterology; 2.
Prof. of Diseases of Children. Both: College of Physicians