Any idea how to make Natto palatable?

[BM]

I bought some natto after reading about its supposed ability to stave off osteo problems (which I've had in the past). I'd prefer to use the food rather than popping more pills (mainly for reasons of cost) but it's RANCID! Are there any natto enthusiasts out there who have recipes they could share so that I can enjoy this food without heaving?

[Ann]

I bought some natto after reading about its supposed ability to stave off osteo problems (which I've had in the past). I'd prefer to use the food rather than popping more pills (mainly for reasons of cost) but it's RANCID! Are there any natto enthusiasts out there who have recipes they could share so that I can enjoy this food without heaving?

Have you Googled natto? I had to because I never heard of it before - and there seems to be quite a few sites with recipes. If it's anything like tempeh, it would probably benefit from marinating it in something strong in taste and possibly spicy in nature. If it's as firm as tempeh, grilling it after marinating works wonders too.

[frenchpat]

As far as I know Na-to only comes in its gooey form. Very healthy but quite disgusting appearance, it is an acquired taste. I like it, albeit in small portions. Usually eaten for breakfast in Japan I am being told...

Guess all you have to do is Man up...

Pat

[Miss Philicia]

I'll pop a pill before eating something vile.

[aztecan]

Here you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KSZMQ66FLk

HUGS,

Mark

[BM]

Thanks everyone. I bought a 300g packet on something of a whim after seeing it in my local Asian market and half-remembering good things about it. I hadn't Googled natto before buying; all I knew was that it was considered "challenging" by Westerners. The variety I have is hikiwari natto, or chopped natto and it has the consistency of... well use your imagination. I will have a go with some of the ideas on the YouTube link (though no raw eggs).

You'd have thought I'd be used to disgusting food being Glasgow born and bred... 

[Nestor]

I once hated natto too; now I eat it all the time.  My advice is:

1. Give it time--I know many people who found strong cheese disgusting the first time they tried it and now love it.  It's an acquired taste. 

2.  Add strong things to it like grated ginger, grated daikon, chopped scallion or garlic, umeboshi, hot pepper sesame oil, fish sauce, and/or mustard.  But I avoid the little packet of sauce that always comes with the natto--almost all of them have MSG, sugar, artificial colors etc.  It's pretty easy simply to put some soy sauce and/or fish sauce, and a pinch of sugar if you wanted. 

3. The traditional raw egg is a little quail's egg--not the whole chicken egg shown in the video.  The quail's egg actually goes pretty well, but for a chicken egg I would prefer a fried or soft-boiled one. 

4.  As the video says, it's meant to be had with rice, so a typical mouthful would be mostly rice with a small bit of natto---not a big spoonful of natto all at once!

Bon appetit!

[Hellraiser]

No offense but there is no health benefit that could make me eat that on a regular basis.

Ok that's not completely true, if a gun were being held to my head I would probably eat it.

[Ann]

No offense but there is no health benefit that could make me eat that on a regular basis.

Ok that's not completely true, if a gun were being held to my head I would probably eat it.

I bet you've put nastier things in your mouth - without a gun being held to your head.

[Hellraiser]

I bet you've put nastier things in your mouth - without a gun being held to your head.

I walked right into that one.

[BM]

I walked right into that one.

Fnar fnar. 

[atlanta05]

I like it mixed with chopped raw okra (which is also pretty slimy!), maybe some chopped green onion in there, and a little soy sauce.

It goes well with canned tuna and boiled eggs, too.

It is pretty weird stuff, huh, but I like it.