Japanese Holidays - Natto Day

Fermented soybeans are one of the traditional dishes of Asian countries In the Land of the Rising Sun it is called natto The dish has a salty taste and a specific pungent odor, similar to the aroma emitted by some blue cheeses In feudal Japan, protein-rich natto was as popular as pasta meat Fermented soybeans have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and intestinal microflora, quickly fill you up and help control weight due to the low calorie content of the dish In 1982, the Natto Producers Association established Natto Day to promote its sales This holiday is celebrated on July 10th The date of Natto Day is based on a play on words The syllable “na” appears at the beginning of the name of the month “July” (七月), ie the seventh month of the year, and “to” is the number “10” (十日 - “tenth day”) Natto is one of the traditional national dishes of Japan, which due to its pungent smell and unusual taste is not very popular among foreigners Therefore, Natto Day has not become a worldwide holiday, like, for example, International Sushi Day celebrated on June 18th Natto is made from whole, washed and steamed beans, to which hay bacillus is added Until 1974, the dish was prepared with a different crop - Bacillus natto Bacillus subtilis is a probiotic, spore-forming bacterium that secretes digestive enzymes (lipase, amylase and protease) that kill pathogens in the body After heat treatment, the beans are left to ferment for 24 hours, and then put in the refrigerator and after a week, when the natto has acquired a viscous consistency, served The dish is usually eaten for breakfast, seasoned with mustard, raw egg, grated daikon or soy sauce Natto is also added to soups, salads, sushi and ice cream The dish prepared according to classic recipes is called “itohiki” There is also dried, fried and salted natto fermented using the koji fungus The Japanese associate the appearance of the dish in the Land of the Rising Sun with the name of the Chinese monk Gadzin, who lived in the 7th-8th centuries BC According to another legend, natto was the result of accidentally placing beans cooked for horses into rice straw bags, which were discovered by subordinate samurai Minamoto no Yoshiie, who lived in the 11th century The soldiers liked the taste of fermented soybeans, and after a while 納豆 began to be cooked throughout Japan Before the introduction of bread to the islanders' diet, natto was a staple dish served for breakfast It was highly prized for its nutritional profile and ease of preparation The Japanese eat 263 thousand tons of natto per year It is more popular in the northeast of the country than in the southwest Natto Day reminds residents of Japan about the recipes of national cuisine and encourages, despite the dominance of Western culture, to make a choice in favor of traditional dishes