Why Nat(to)!

Many years ago a wise Japanese man told me that eating Natto (a fermented soybean product) was good for your health.  In fact he went on to say that the longer you stirred the Natto when mixing it with soy and mustard to eat with your rice for breakfast, the healthier it was.  Well since most of my trips to Japan probably swing to the unhealthy side of the meter due to lack of sleep, too much drink, and a usually fast paced schedule, I thought what the heck, I should be eating this!!!

So I pushed aside as best I could the stinky smell.  I fought off the difficulty of eating it due to its sticky spider-web like stringiness.  Then I ate it.  Oh boy, what a taste!  Not too good I thought.  But I pressed on, after all, the first time I drank a Guinness I thought it was terrible.  Liquefied chimney soot.  So the second time I ate the Natto it was a little better, and then each time after that I acquired the taste until now I search it out and do enjoy eating it (although it still does stink).  It makes me laugh when my Japanese friends are amazed that I eat this stuff.  It seems that only half of Japan likes eating Natto (the eastern half – or as I prefer to refer to it, the northern half).  To the west (or south), they won’t touch the stuff.  This is quite an interesting phenomenon.  Anyway I say to all you health conscious people – eat Natto!!!  If you don’t like it the first time, keep trying!!!