1. Sushi

There are many types of Japanese specialty foods, including Japanese sushi, Japanese natto, sashimi, Japanese sake, Japanese pancakes: sushi, rice balls, tempura (wrapped) Flour fried food), おでん (stewed food, often containing eggs, radish, agar, etc.), eel rice, ochazuke rice, grilled rice...

Japanese sushi has been recorded in the "Enki Style" of the Heian Period code completed in 927 AD. Sushi at that time referred to a way of preserving fish. Spread salt on the fish and press it with something heavy to allow it to ferment naturally. When the sour taste is produced, it can be eaten and its taste is very good. It is said that this method was introduced to Japan from China. This method was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and soon developed into a method of simply soaking fish meat in vinegar.

Nowadays, the so-called sushi refers to any food with other fillings added to rice mixed with vinegar. Today's Japanese sushi, in addition to nigiri (the sushi we often eat today), also includes maki sushi and box sushi. The rolls are rice, cucumbers, tuna, eggs, pickled radish, etc. wrapped in seaweed. They can be divided into large rolls and thin rolls, that is, different sizes. A sushi roll usually uses 90 grams of rice, and is cooked into about 200 grams of rice. It is then wrapped in seaweed and eaten. Sometimes thin scrambled egg skin can be used instead of seaweed. A sushi roll wrapped in a whole sheet of seaweed is called a thick roll, and a sushi roll wrapped in only half a sheet is called a thin roll. Sushi rolls are usually stuffed with cooked sweet ham, mushrooms, scrambled egg skin, fish floss or duck celery. Hand rolls are actually a type of maki. It is said that when Japanese gamblers in ancient times were hungry, they put tuna in their rice and rolled it up with seaweed to prevent the rice from getting on their poker cards and fingers. Therefore, it is very popular. 2. The magical Japanese specialty food – Natto

2.1 Overview

Natto is a traditional fermented food with soybeans as the main raw material. It has a long history and can be traced back to As early as the Okinawa era, it is one of Japan's most ethnic foods. When eating it with chopsticks, there will be a long stringy phenomenon. Natto is deeply loved by Japanese people because of its unique flavor, easy preparation and effective nutritional and health benefits. According to the Japan Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Finance Corporation magazine, 89.4% of people in Japan are accustomed to eating natto. Natto is also the only food that can dissolve blood clots among more than 230 common foods in the world.

Natto is a fermented food fermented by Bacillus subtilis var natto. Natto has very rich nutritional value, rich in protein, various amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. After fermentation, the nutrients are easier to digest and absorb. 100 grams of natto is equivalent to 3 eggs or 80 grams of beef.

Research shows that the health-care function of natto is mainly related to various functional factors such as nattokinase, natto isoflavones, saponin, and vitamin K2. Natto is rich in saponins, which can improve constipation, lower blood lipids, prevent colorectal cancer, lower cholesterol, soften blood vessels, prevent hypertension and arteriosclerosis, inhibit AIDS virus and other functions; Natto contains free isoflavones and A variety of enzymes that are beneficial to the human body, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, protease, amylase, lipase, etc., which can remove carcinogens from the body, improve memory, protect liver and beauty, delay aging, etc., and have obvious effects , and can improve the digestibility of food; ingesting live natto bacteria can adjust the balance of intestinal flora and prevent dysentery, enteritis and constipation. Its effect is in some aspects better than the commonly used lactic acid bacteria microecological preparations; fermentation of natto produces A viscous substance that coats the surface of the gastrointestinal mucosa, thereby protecting the gastrointestinal tract and relieving the effects of drunkenness when drinking alcohol.

The latest research also shows that natto has a strong inhibitory effect on the development of pathogenic Escherichia coli O157, the main culprit causing large-scale food poisoning. This new theory was published by Professor Sumi Hiroyuki of Miyazaki Medical University in Japan, who is known as Dr. Natto. The experimental results are limited to the laboratory, but the principle of natto's ability to inhibit the development of E. coli 0157 has not yet been clarified. Professor Sumi Yangxing pointed out that the edible fungi contained in natto can hinder the growth and reproduction of many bacterial species. effect, so it should also have an inhibitory effect on 0157 coliform bacteria.

In addition to Japan, which has conducted systematic research on natto for a long time, countries such as South Korea, the United States, and Australia have also begun to accept this healthy food and are stepping up basic and applied research in this area. In my country, Research in this area has just begun.