WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST NATTO EXPERIENCE?

OCTOBER 27th, 2022

Nattō (納豆). A traditional Japanese food made of fermented soy beans. 

It’s also one the most polarizing foods for those who eat the Japanese cuisine. No one ever has said, “Uh, it’s okay.” It’s truly a love it, or hate it food item. Zero middle ground. 

For the camp that loathes it, it mostly stems from its strong odor and slimy, sticky texture. Many people aren’t into slime entering their mouths. I think it influences their taste buds because the flavor itself is not that strong. But once the brain smells it and sees it, it shuts off any semblance of approval. 

For those who enjoy it, it’s rare to find an individual who discovered nattō on their own. Usually, a parent, grand parent, or other close relative introduced it to them, or ate it in front of them. Friends won’t convince you to like it…hee hee. 

The comic loosely depicts my first experience. My father was the nattō eater in our house. He plopped a pile on my plate and observed me. I poked and twisted my chop sticks (hashi) into the pile, noticing it made spiderweb like threads. A pungent aroma filled my nostrils. It reminded me of my dirty socks or sweaty shoes! 

The first bite was like boogers in the mouth! I choked it down with some water and gasped for air! My dad seemed entertained by my antics. Once I was over the initial shock of that indescribable texture, I rather enjoyed it. Especially over hot rice and certain seasonings. 

Today I eat it with green onions, furikake, shoyu (soy sauce), and sometimes with an over easy egg, all on top of hot rice. If they’re in season, I like sliced avocados on top of the whole dish.