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

Certainly the soy processing industry fi nds itself in a
beginning state and, like all young industries, in need of
improvement. Remember the sugar-beet industry was also
once young but it made improvements and went on to great
success, as will be expected of this new twig on the food
industry. In any case, the beginning of utilization of the
soybean as food for the people has been made, and in the
foreseeable future the soybean may, as in China and Japan,
become an indispensable part of our people’s food.
It is different with the introduction of the soybean as a
cultivated plant in Central Europe. Forty years ago Friedrich
Haberlandt showed (and after him countless others have
shown) that the soybean grows well in Central Europe.
Although additional new tests verify this, there are still those
who object to soybean culture. One objection is the long time
required by the soybean to come to maturity; the answer is
the development of new varieties. Another is the relatively
low yield compared with other beans; the answer lies in the
use of inoculation. The author then discusses nutrient yield
per acre and per unit of money, showing both to be high for
soybeans.
Pages 10-11: It is well know that legumes possess the
ability to transform and fi x free nitrogen from the air. In
1886 Prof. Hellriegel discovered that this capability is due
to certain bacteria that live in the soil and move through the
root hairs into the root, where they cause nodule formation.
The nitrogen-fi xing bacteria living in the nodules nourish the
plant. The author then talks about inoculation using either
soil from a previous planting or “Nitragin,” a pure culture
of root bacteria, which is well known and has recently been
improved. Dr. Kuehn of Berlin-Grunewald showed that
soil inoculated with Nitragin gave a 3- to 4-fold increase
in yield, plus an increase in protein in the roots and leaves.
He then discusses improved cultural practices. Winkler says
that transplanting improves yields. Continued. Address:
Frohnleiten, Steiermark [Austria].
134. Fuerstenberg, Maurice. 1917. Die Soja,
eine Kulturpfl anze der Zukunft und ihre
Verwertungsmoeglichkeiten [The soybean, a cultivated
plant of the future, and possibilities for its utilization. Part II
(Document part)]. Berlin: Paul Parey. 40 p. 28 cm. [59 ref.
Ger]
• Summary: Continued on p. 14. Ways of using the soybean
in its homeland (East Asia, especially Japan and China):
Note: In this section, starting on p. 15, the author repeatedly
uses the word Sojaspeisen meaning “soyfoods.” The soybean
probably originated in India. The Chinese and Japanese used
it to fortify their rice-based, protein-poor diet. The practice
came before the theory. The author says (incorrectly, p. 15)
that all the basic soyfoods are fermented. He then gives a
long description of koji and how it is made.
Shoyu or soy sauce (Shoju oder Soja-Sauce) (p. 15-17):
In Japan, 540-720 million liters are manufactured each year
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HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 80
so each Japanese uses 60-100 ml/year. The fermentation time
is 8 months to 5 years. The best soy sauce is fermented for
3 to 5 years. He explains how, as soy sauce is fermented,
the protein is broken down into amino acids such as leucine,
tyrosine, and members of the “Xanthin” group.
Miso (vegetable cheese, p. 17-18): Miso is widely used
in soups. More than half of the yearly Japanese soybean
harvest is used for making miso. This is 30 million kg
per year. Types of miso include shiro miso and Sendai
miso. Winkler, in his small work titled “The Soybean of
Manchuria,” mentions two other types of miso: Aka or red
miso and nuka miso. Kellner investigated fi ve types of miso;
a table shows their composition. Loew reports that this
vegetable cheese (miso) is consumed either raw or in soups.
Kellner, Nagasaka and Kurashima report that, based on their
investigations, the amount of amino-nitrogen increases 3-fold
and the quantity of carbohydrates is signifi cantly diminished
through lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation. The carbonic
acid created thereby rises signifi cantly during fermentation
(Loew).
Natto (p. 18): Discusses the fi ndings of Yabe.
Japanese tofu or Chinese Tao-hu (p. 18-20): This is
the so-called “bean cheese” (Bohnenkäese). A table (p.
19, from König) shows the nutritional value of fresh tofu
(84.8% moisture) and frozen tofu (17.0% moisture). E.
Senft studied frozen tofu, a Japanese military preserved food
(Militärkonserve) that is not canned; he found it had a beige
color and a unique, slightly sour aroma which was at times
reminiscent of dextrin. It has a uniform texture throughout,
with many tiny pores. Winkler refers to fi ve other types of
soy cheese. Concerning the military preserved foods, they
were highly regarded during the Russo-Japanese War and
(according to Senft) played a key role in the war. (Footnote:
The descriptions of the various preparations made from
soya make E. Senft’s treatises (1906 and 1907) valuable;
in them he published his investigations of a number of
Japanese vegetable foods and military preserved foods or
conserves). The well-known food manufacturer Maggi in
Kempttal, Switzerland, has tried for many years to introduce
a commercial miso-like product, but was not successful.
The soybean as an oil plant (p. 20-26): Winkler, in his
brochure, discusses the uses of soybeans in Manchuria. After
1908, soybeans were sold in Europe at incredibly low prices
which resulted in the expansion of imports and production.
Then tariffs were levied on soybeans. There were some
major problems in the Austrian oil industry.
Soybean fl our (Sojabohnenmehl; p. 26-28): In
recent years, various processes have been patented. One
manufacturer is Soyamewerke in Frankfurt am Main, which
makes Soyama Kraftmehl. Yellow soybeans are mechanically
cleaned, washed, dried, and dehulled according to the
process of Dr. Fritz Goessel. Agumawerke in Harburg also
makes soy fl our.
The soybean as a coffee substitute and extender (p. 28-