All Hail Natto

What is this thing we call Natto...
A fermented soy bean. Check
A stringy mucus like film. Check
Stench of ammonia. Check
Smells of locker room cheese like body oder. Check
You've got Natto; the wonder food of our generation.

Mixing in only a small package of mustard and soy sauce contained with
the natto in the styrofoam package, the chopsticks goes round and round
until the mucus film makes bubbles. Then wolf down with indifference.
Ah, natto... how you saved my stomach. About a year into my time here
in Japan I began to get stomach problems. Mainly a burning esophagus
and a rotting gut. Not good people, what to do? I then began to get
this sort of quake like feeling around my diaphragm... what's going
on!!

I asked around and my bud Ian suggested that it is something called,
"gaijin sickness". Basically the enzymes in my stomach don't like the
enzymes in my food, my foreign Japanese food. Is this true? I don't
know, but it didn't totally solve my problem... what to do? I consulted
my friend Matt..."Mate",(he's Australian), "Mate, try having milk or
yogurt or ice cream after dinner", it really calms down the life form
party in your stomach. So it seemed to work for a while, but not total
satisfaction. I was still quaking and burning. Matt got turned on to
natto and suggested it to me... but no way, no way man! The clear
gossamer threads glistening with the promise of eternal stench,
encasing hard brown pebbly nuggets. I've even had natto stick to my
bicycle after a ride. It took about fifteen minutes to wipe the goo off
my stinky frame. I HATE natto. I know what you're thinking, go see a
doctor, right? Get real people, I'm trying to write a story here.

The misery continued despite stomach powders diet changes and the like.
Then my "green eggs and ham" moment came. During a meal at an
Isakaya, a Japanese style of restaurant that serves small dishes and
drinks; Yoshiko introduced to an omelette with Natto in it. Not being
aware of the fermented bean presence I chomped down. Ohh, that
stench... hey this omelette has Natto in it! Then instantly... almost
instantaneously and immediately not to mention right away there was a
feeling of overwhelming contentment in my stomach. What a phenomenal
relief! It was like sending Mr. T into my stomach telling my bad
enzymes to "cut your jibber jabba foo!". I LOVE natto!

Natto became my indigestion medicine. I ate it now and then to put out
the fire. But then in February I went to the Keio cycling camp and
Namuta San, an excellent athlete and cyclist, reveled in his post ride
natto. Was natto more than a stomach friend? Why yes. Natto is a
fabulous source of protein. So easy to digest and a buffer for all the
crud cyclists love to snack on. So now natto is my secret weapon, my
performance enhancing drug. After a hard ride a protein shake and
natto (not mixed together) gives me a great feeling of satisfaction
and recovery.

So don't ask me "do you really like to eat Natto?", because I'm not in
it for the taste.




Some natto links for the curious:
NATTO1
NATTO2
NATTO3
NATTO4
NATTO5

And, yes you can make natto at home!!
MAKE NATTO AT HOME!