My update on Natto...
I've been doing lots of experimenting with Natto. I've made about 4 batches so far. It's relatively easy to make and takes just a couple of day of passive cooking and fermenting. First day, I soak the soy beans overnight, the second day I cook them, cool them and then inoculate them with the bacteria. They are then covered with plastic wrap placed in my oven, which warms them with the pilot light for about 24 hours. After that, they are ready to use in recipes. I keep the natto in covered pyrex dishes in the fridge and it gets better with a little aging in there. A batch will last my husband and I about 10 days.
Natto is traditionally served as a breakfast dish, cold, over hot, white rice and with a Tare sauce (kind of like teriyaki sauce.) I've been looking up all kinds of recipes for other dishes and found this site has quite a few:
https://welovejapanesefood.com/natto-recipes/
I've been making wraps and stir fries. I do believe that it is more nutritious cold, because heating it can destroy the beneficial enzymes. That being said, even hot, it is still full of good things.
Also, here is a site that has a good Tare sauce recipe:
https://www.culturesforhealth.com/le...e-natto-sauce/
Honestly, I didn't start making natto for its health benefits. I was just curious and found natto in one of my cookbooks that has recipes for all kinds of cultured foods. However, after doing some research, I found that natto contains nattokinase, an enzyme that greatly reduces the development of blood clots, something which I am predisposed to, so for me, I think that it is a good thing. There is also considerable research that shows that it is good for your heart and lowering BP. I only eat about a cup, or two per week, so I don't think that I'm in any serious danger of overdoing it. I do think that it would be wise for anyone interested in eating natto for its health benefits, to to some research.
So, that's my take on natto. As you can see, I'm enthusiastic about it.
If you're curious and don't want to make your own, you might find it in the freezer section of an Asian market, or online. It's cheap to buy...$2-3.
~ C