ABSTRACT
Foods of this type are called itohiki-natto (hereafter abbreviated to natto) in Japan, kinema in Nepal and Myanmar, tua nao in Thailand, and chungkuk-jang in Korea. Natto is produced only with
B. subtilis
(
natto
) (formerly called
B. natto
, see Section 9.2.1). These fermented soybean foods are consumed in a variety of forms. For instance,
tua nao is used as a raw ingredient in salads. Chungkuk-jang, which contains cayenne peppers and garlic, is used as an ingredient for a Korean soup called chige. In Japan, natto is mixed with soy sauce, sliced Welsh onion (similar to stone leeks), mustard, dried seaweed, and/or raw egg. Seasoned natto is usually eaten with rice in Japan. A looser natto (hikiwari-natto) and a dried type of natto are also used. Before the Second World War, the transportation infrastructure was not well developed in Japan. Hence, dried, hard natto, having a long shelf life, was usually manufactured and consumed. Of the three types of natto, itohiki-natto is the most popular at present in Japan. Hikiwari-natto is used for preparing sushi. Consumption of natto increased compared to other soybean foods during the 1990s, generating sales of 160 billion yen in 1996.
