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

production grew from 1,991,126 quintals (1 quintal = 100 kg
or 0.1 metric tons) to a record 3,816,498 quintals.
Page 35: “Prof. Rouest of Luxey (Landes) in France
wrote us on 30 Nov. 1921. ‘I have fi nished only the period
of acclimatization of the soybean. It remains for me to
propagate it a little everywhere. The experiments of 1921
were extended in all the Departments, being viewed from an
industrial and commercial point of view. I must now study
which variety adapts among those I am cultivating. Soy fl our
will not be able to be made until we have many thousands of
hectares under cultivation, and then we will be able to think
of other applications as well... Actually the fi rm Hendebert
de Lion sells its fl our, originating in China, at 10 French
francs per kg, a prohibitive price.’”
Page 206: At the pediatric congress held in Milan in
Sept. 1922, the question of lactation (feeding children) with
vegetable milk was discussed in a favorable way, proposed
by Prof. Muggia and sustained by the illustrious Prof.
Berghius, Director of the Pediatric Clinic of the University
of Padua, and by Prof. Francioni of Bologna. We can also
add that experiments on lactation are proceeding in Italy at
the pediatric clinics of Turin, Bologna, Padua, Genoa, and
Florence, and also at the Infant’s Dispensary in Turin.
Photos show: (1) Three different varieties of soybean
plants (p. 70). (2) 2 soybean plants up close (p. 71). (3) The
leaves of 3 different varieties of soybean plants (p. 72). (4)
Close-up of the stem and pods of a soybean plant (p. 73). (5)
Beans and pods of soybeans (p. 74). (6) Different stages of
germinating soybean seeds (p. 75). (7) Close-up of soybean
roots (p. 76). (8) Field of soybeans at the “Istituto Bonafous”
(p. 106, 108, 113). (9) Field of soybeans grown with corn (p.
122, 123). (10) Cellular transverse section through a soybean
(facing p. 152). (11) Pasta made from soy (p. 181). (12)
Bread made from soy (p. 183-89).
Note 1. Quite a bit of the historical and non-Italian
information in this book comes from Léon Rouest’s 1921
book Le soja et son lait végétal: Applications agricoles et
industrielles.
Note 2. This is the earliest Italian-language document
seen (Jan. 2012) that mentions natto, which it calls “il Natto
in Giappone che corrisponde al Tao-Teche della Cina.”
Address: Dr. of Economic and Commercial Science, Turin
[Torino], Italy.
163. Kempski, Karl E. 1923. Die Sojabohne: Geschichte,
Kultur und Verwendung unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung
der Verhaeltnisse in Niederlaendisch-Indien [The soybean:
History, culture and use, with special attention to the
situation in the Netherlands-Indies]. Berlin: Paul Parey. 88 p.
Illust. Index. 22 cm. [101 ref. Ger]
• Summary: Contents: Introduction. Some remarks on the
soybean’s early history. Overproduction of soybeans in
Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War–English oil mills
make their fi rst trials. Soybean production in Manchuria.
© Copyright Soyinfo Center 2012
HISTORY OF NATTO AND ITS RELATIVES 98
Soybean production in Korea. Soybean production in Japan.
Soybean production in America–Soybean meal and soybean
milk are introduced. Soybean production has also expanded
in Africa, British India, and the Philippines. The introduction
of soybean cultivation to Europe. The many uses of the
soybean in Europe. Uses of soy oil. Old and new methods of
obtaining soy oil. Soybean production and use of soybeans in
the Netherlands-Indies. Appendix: Descriptions of how the
most important soybean products are manufactured: In Java
(tao-hoe [tofu]), tempeh, ketjap [soy sauce], tao-tjiong [or
tao-jiung, a term, and perhaps a product, between doujiang
and tao-tjo, Indonesian-style miso], in China and Japan (soy
sauce, miso, tofu, frozen tofu, natto, soymilk) (p. 62-68).
Supplements: I: Soybeans in Manchuria. II; Hansamuehle
[Hansa Muehle] in Hamburg, Germany. III: The Soybean by
Piper and Morse.
Note the extensive, early bibliography. Unfortunately, it
contains many errors.
This book is largely a review of the literature, but with
some original information, especially on Indonesia and
Germany. In 1923 Java imported 150,000 to 200,000 tons
of soybeans and had a population of 35 million. The area
of soybeans planted in Java (including Madura) increased
from 157,600 ha in 1918 to 164,700 ha in 1922 (p. 32).
In 1921, 67.3% of Java’s soybean acreage was in Central
Java, 20.7% was in East Java, and only 5.7% was in West
Java. (p. 35). Large quantities of soybeans are imported to
the Netherlands-Indies from Manchuria: 35,105 metric tons
(tonnes) in 1920, rising to 95,742 tonnes in 1922. From these
and local soybeans are made tempeh [spelled like this!], tofu
(tahoe; Bohnenkäese), soy sauce (Ketjap, Sojasauce), etc. In
Java, mostly black soybeans are grown. To make tofu yellow,
it is cooked in an extract of the Curcuma root / rhizome.
Sometimes it is also sun-dried or fried/roasted (gebraten).
Tempeh is inoculated with a piece of tempeh from a previous
fermentation, and often fried in coconut oil. Detailed
descriptions are given of the production of soy sauce (ketjap;
which is made from black soybeans) and Indonesian miso
(taucho; tao-tjiong). The author (p. 64) states that ketjap
and tao-tjiung are both inoculated using Hibiscus tiliaceus
(hibiscus) leaves, called waroe in Java. Today Germany, like
America, produces fresh and dried soymilk, fresh and dried
soya cream, meat analogs, and soy sauce (p. 25).
This book contains 17 interesting, old photos.
Descriptions of those reproduced from other periodicals are
omitted. (1) A soybean fi eld on the farm Kikai Nojo near
Sempo-Station, Korea, owned and run by Mr. Moegling
(p. 12). (2) A combine used for harvesting regular beans in
California in 1918 (p. 19). (3) Many hydraulic presses in
a modern American oil factory (p. 29). (4) The equipment
used in steaming the soybeans before they are crushed in an
American “steam mill” type oil mill (p. 31). (5) The interior
of a British oilmill (p. 33). (6) The electrical generators
in a modern oilmill (p. 34). (7) Soybeans being harvested