Natto

🌱 What it is

Natto is whole soybeans fermented with Bacillus subtilis bacteria, producing a distinctive sticky, stringy texture and a strong, pungent flavor that takes some getting used to.

📜 Where it comes from

Natto has been eaten in Japan for over a thousand years, with folk tradition crediting its discovery to soybeans accidentally left in straw, which carries the bacteria that ferment them into natto's distinctive sticky texture. It became a traditional breakfast food in many regions of Japan, though its strong flavor and stringy texture have made it a food that divides even Japanese opinion. Its use has remained largely confined to Japanese cuisine, though it has drawn wider interest recently for its nutrient content.

✨ Why it's good for you

• One of the richest known food sources of vitamin K2, which supports bone and blood-vessel health
• A complete plant protein
• Provides live beneficial bacteria
• May help support healthy blood flow through an enzyme (nattokinase) found in the ferment

🥗 Nutrition

Per 1/2 cup (88g) · about 186 calories

• Protein 15.6g
• Vitamin K2 (high)
• Iron 4.3mg
• Manganese 0.6mg

Source: USDA FoodData Central

🥄 How to use it

Traditionally eaten over rice with a little soy sauce and mustard, stirred until stringy; an acquired taste worth trying in small amounts first.

Why it works: Nutrition science credits natto's uniquely high vitamin K2 content, a form produced during its bacterial fermentation, as the basis for research into bone and cardiovascular health.

📚 Learn more

💬 Ask Remy about Natto

📚 Resource confidence

Based on mentions in health references

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