Natto

Yes, pop down to the local pet store and ask tem to gob on some rabbit crap for you :lol:

 

It's a simple love/hate affair. Goes for Japanese people just as well as anyone else. It's also a recurring topic when discussing the differences between Kanto and Kansai. Apparently in the Kansai region most people tend to not like it.

As to my taste, I love it. I like trying out all the different kinds of Natto and usually eat it as a side dish to rice several times a week. There are small beans, large beans, sweet tastes and salty ones. My favorite style is the one with wasabi instead of karashi (mustard). Just remember to stir it well with the chopsticks until it gets all creamy and then eat it. Great!

 

If you are in London then there are a number of oriental supermarkets and shops which do sell it (should be in a fridge), go to Chinatown in London and there is New Loon Moon on Gerrard St and See Woo Hong on Lisle St (thats the road between Leicester Sqaure and Gerrard St). Both of them did sell it, well they did a few years ago. There is a small Japanese food shop in Brewer St too, which should have it too.

Elsewhere just look for oriental supermarkets and shops with google maps. I could buy natto in Australia but it was expensive at around 650yen for 4 (which is about 10 times more then it is here...)

 

How much salt is in it (% daily intake)?

 

eating raw eggs here in japan is 0 risk. altough i do not like it that much, but mixed with nattou, maguro and negi etc. is quite the delicious

 

Nothing is zero risk...especially in Japan, especially when it comes to handling food. It's no China, but there's always a scandal. Remember that rice thing a few months back?

 

ok, sorry. so there is 0.0173% risk

what i wanted to say is, that i wouldn't eat raw eggs in europe due to the much higher risk of catching salmonellae and stuff. to my own surprise, i rarelly heard about incidents in japan. but your right, there is no 0 risk.

 

Natto isn't bad. It does smell like shit, and the snotty texture can be off-putting I suppose. But it tastes pretty good. I don't really buy it, but i'll have some if my GF is eating it.

 

nattou, and again i'm saying this very honestly, doesn't smell anything like bad, for me it smells very fresh and healthy. i do not understand, why so many people keep saying that it stinks and smells like shit and such stuff.

 

Ditto, I think Yakumo is being a typical british person who doesn't want to take in the local foods. :lol: Although it looks horrible, the smell and taste are great, seems to smell of weak marmite to me.

The only thing about eggs I find in Japan is that the concept of Free Range eggs seems to be a alien concept in most places, although eggs might contain things like what the chickens were fed on, or if they are organic(!), none of them tell you if they are cage (battery), barn or free range eggs. One brand seems to say that the farm is in the middle of a forest but that tells me nothing about if they are roaming free or in a tiny cage...

A tiny 40g pot of natto contains 2mg of salt or about a trace amount of the stuff of your recommended daily intake. It does give you 10% of your daily protein for the day, 8% of your Vitamin K even 6% of your daily Vitamin C intake. Is 5% of your daily fat intake, 13% of your iron, 21% of your maganese and 6% of your calcium. Is chock full of good Amino acids, being 97% full of the 9 Amino acids you need per day. And is about 70 calories.

 

Rice wine. Also there is another slightly bigger one further down that road. Cant remember the name of that one though. Theres also the Japan Centre and if anyone has it i think it would be them really.

Edit:

Still cant remember the name of the one further down the road but its also got some good stuff in there.

Some links:

http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1p72y75/rice-wine-shop

http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/food/1p12o8s/see-woo-hong-supermarket

 

The smell & taste aren't so bad its the stringy snot texture that makes me want to puke. Why must they string like that its just vile.

 

When I first came to Japan I had a cash in hand job as a waiter in some stake restaurant in Aoyama Station. The shit I saw in the kitchen put me off eating anything there. All sorts of insects crawling across the kitchen floor as well as around the cooking area. Sick it was ! The cooks were from Indonesia so they weren't bothered at all h:

I've mentioned before that the food hygiene in Japan leaves a lot to be desired at times.

I'd like to say you're right but I'm afraid not. I'll try anything at least once. If I don't like it then I don't like it :nod: Basically I can't stand Washoku. Miso and Japanese Soy sauce doesn't do anything for me.

Yakumo

 

I wouldn't eat raw eggs anywhere due to the disgusting texture and flavor, and to the fact that it's not *THAT* healthy.

 

Natto is pretty disgusting. I have no problems with the texture, but it smells like sweaty socks and it tastes like puke, something which I make sure to tell my students every time the topic is brought up.

And even though many westerners like fermented food, like beer, cheese, or yogurt, natto just seems sinister:

From Wikipedia

To add stringiness. The thing that some people hate most about natto is done on purpose!

 

Mmm Baked beans & semen anyone :lol:



Mmm makes the mouth water dosen't it?


Would you like a tissue to blow your nose, "no thanks i'll just snot into this bowl" thanks.

 

Seem that the majority of people here either like it or at least want to try it with the rest of you hating it and trying to make it sound as disgusting as possible, what are you 3 years old or something?

 

Try working in a laboratory where you have to process sputum samples that look like natto minus the beans day in & day out. It kind of kills my enthusiasm for the stuff.

I personally dont mind the flavour it's actually not that bad, shame that it has to look like that im sure if they didn't give it the stringyness though it wouldn't taste right.

Your just going to have to accept that not everyone loves the stuff as much as you do.

 

Yeah, this ranks as one of the few things that I will not eat.

Absolutely vile, the taste is ok, it is very good for your body, but, and this is a big but, texture wise it makes me want to throw up.

I see no problem in hating it, my mates in Hyogo-ken obviously think it is great that I hate it and even in Canto you will rarely ever see it on the menu in a restaurant.

For those that want to try it, go right ahead. I am glad I did.

But please do not think that loving it gives you any holier than thou bragging rights.

Stick to pigs trotters, equally good for your skin and better with a beer!

 

I think it smells a bit but overall not bad...adding it to my diet soon.