The origin of the name "natto"
Natto has a history of more than 1,000 years in Japan. Natto was originally made in temple kitchens using the natural fermentation of Bacillus subtilis on rice straw, and was called "nasho" because temple kitchens are called "nasho," so it was called natto. "Natto was then an important source of nutrition for vegetarian monks, and was also an imperial nutritional product for the Japanese royal family, monks, nobles, and samurai.
Nutritional value of natto (see: Natto's efficacy and role)
In recent years, by Japanese medical scientists, physiologists have learned that the protein of soybeans is insoluble, and made into natto, it becomes soluble and produces amino acids, and raw materials in the absence of a variety of enzymes will be due to the natto bacterium and associated bacteria produce, to help the stomach and intestine digestion and absorption. The composition of natto is 61.8% water, 19.26% crude protein, 8.17% crude fat, 6.09% carbohydrates, 2.2% crude fiber, and 1.86% ash, which is the richest crude protein and fat as a plant food. Natto is a high-protein nourishing food, and the alcohols contained in natto can eliminate some of the cholesterol in the body, break down acidified lipids in the body, and return abnormal blood pressure to normal after consumption (Body Science Magazine, January 1994 issue, published by Nippon Review, p. 4).
Natto suits the Japanese terroir. The staple food of the Japanese is rice, which is usually eaten in grain form. Natto is also in the form of grains, which makes Japanese people feel close to them. Moreover, consuming natto helps to digest rice and makes Japanese people, who love to eat white rice, less prone to cerebrovascular disease. There are many ways to eat natto. When you buy natto, it usually comes with wasabi and seasoning, so you can stir it and eat it, mostly with rice. It can also be eaten with minced green onions and nori according to personal preference. Since its nutritional value has been revealed, the number of people consuming it has been increasing. Nowadays, due to the development of food processing technology, natto is also made into many different flavors, so individuals can choose to buy it according to their tastes and needs.
Research has shown that the health functions of natto are mainly related to the various functional factors in it, such as nattokinase, natto isoflavones, saponins, and vitamin K2. Natto is rich in saponins, can improve constipation, reduce blood lipids, prevent colorectal cancer, reduce cholesterol, soften blood vessels, prevent hypertension and atherosclerosis, inhibit HIV and other functions; natto contains free isoflavones and a variety of enzymes beneficial to the human body, such as peroxide dismutase, catalase, protease, amylase, lipase, etc., which can remove the body's carcinogenic substances, improve memory, Liver beauty, delay aging, etc. have obvious effect, and can improve the digestibility of food; intake of live natto bacteria can regulate the balance of intestinal flora, prevention of dysentery, enteritis and constipation, and its effect is in some ways superior to the commonly used lactobacilli micro-ecological agents; natto fermentation of viscous substances, coated with mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract on the surface, and thus protect the gastrointestinal and alcohol can alleviate the effects of alcohol drunkenness.
Recent research has also shown that natto has a strong inhibitory effect on the development of pathogenic E. coli O157, the "culprit" in mass food poisoning. This new theory was published by Professor Yozo Sumi of Miyazaki Medical University, who is known as "Dr. Natto". On the premise that "the principle that natto inhibits the development of E. coli O157 has not yet been clarified, but is limited to the results of laboratory experiments," Prof. Sumi pointed out that the edible fungi contained in natto are known to inhibit the reproduction of many strains of bacteria, and therefore should have an inhibitory effect on E. coli O157 as well.
Eating method of natto:
Natto has a high medicinal value, but because of its unique odor and sticky silk, so that part of the people from it. So how to eat, the odor disappears sticky silk reduce it? For people who hate the smell of natto, you can use some of the aroma of food such as: round onions, scallions, shrimp, small fish, etc. to neutralize the smell of natto, but also to improve the ability to resist acidification. For those who hate the sticky threads of natto, you can dilute the natto with water 1-2 times and then add soy sauce and other seasonings to eat together. You can also chop up the natto and add it to a cold soup and drink it together. The best scientific combination of natto: 1, natto + round onion 2, natto + grated daikon radish 3, natto + Korean spicy cabbage 4, natto + raw egg yolk 5, natto + kelp 6, natto + sesame seeds + honey