“It took more than 1000 years to figure out how to make natto properly,” says Daisuke Iwase.
According to the Sydney-based founder of , this sticky Japanese fermented soybean dish has only improved since its ancient beginnings.
suggests Japanese troops travelled with cooked soybeans transported in rice-straw bags. As they rode on horseback over long distances, the warmth of their animals transformed the food they were carrying.
Over the centuries, the pungent soybean staple has been , enjoyed as street food and also been cooked in Japanese homes. It’s a breakfast food that’s traditionally served with rice, karashi (Japanese mustard) and other condiments – but it’s also been remixed as vending-machine doughnuts and in recent times. Iwase believes modern refrigeration and culinary techniques have helped natto become more fine-tuned than its earliest configurations.
Credit: Tomoka Okai
A very positive response from friends led him to launching Dai’s Natto in 2021. He started the business because the imported stuff didn’t really taste like home to him. “The fresh natto you get in Japan doesn't have a smell," he says. "Some frozen natto can smell like ammonia, and that is why it gets a bad reputation in places like Australia."
Within a year of starting to make it, Iwase was selling his artisanal natto to local Japanese grocers: Maruyu, Conveni8, JTT, Ume-Ya and Tokyo Mart.
How natto is made
“Japanese people actually don't make natto,” he says. In Japan, it’s widely available and very cheap, after all. And it’s not easy to make.
The process of transforming soybeans into natto – with its slimy surface and gooey strings (which can measure !) – isn’t totally like cooking, he says. “It's more like a science experiment.”
It means being highly rigorous; before he can even soak the soybeans, he has to separate them from any unwanted extras, like rubbish, rocks or insects.
“It takes a long time,” he says. “I use 12 hours or something per week to sort the soybeans.”
When they finally get soaked, the duration depends on temperatures – ie: in wintertime, it takes longer, because fermentation requires warmer temperatures. The beans are then pressure-steamed for hours, then he adds the spores and sets the natto into boxes for the initial fermentation stage.
To enhance the flavours, Iwase subjects the natto to a slow, secondary fermentation, to drive up the umami levels.
What does natto taste like?
This dish can be misunderstood outside of Japan due to its strong smell, slimy texture and sticky strings. It’s been described as and featured in Sweden’s Disgusting Food museum.
It’s been derided for having a “foot odour mixed with paint thinner”, as well as praised for its rich complexity – like . In Japan, most locals love this staple and its intense cheese-like flavour.
For some people, natto’s unphotogenic qualities are part of its appeal. “You know how natto has that white-skin surface after fermenting? That means that's a good fermentation … it feels like it’s successful,” Iwase says.
He believes the stringy slime is a sign of good levels of nattokinase, an enzyme that acts like a “blood thinner” and has .
Iwase believes he’s the first Sydneysider to offer locally made natto on a commercial basis. He has also expanded his range with dehydrated snacks called , which he ferments for even longer (up to 19 days). He hopes this extensive shelf life means he can start to ship this soybean creation interstate.
Meanwhile, he continues to teach dance part-time to help pay the bills.
Credit: Tomoka Okai
