What kind of foods are natto and soybeans?

What kind of foods are natto and soybeans?

What kind of food is natto??

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It has a unique aroma. It is low in calories, high in protein, and contains a lot of dietary fiber.

Natto is generally eaten with rice, but it can also be used in omelets, spaghetti, and toast.
Some of the protein in soybeans has been broken down into amino acids, so it is highly digestible and absorbable.
Furthermore, Bacillus natto produces vitamin K and vitamin B2.

The vitamin K2 contained in natto has a bone-building effect, and because it is rich in calcium, it is said to be effective in preventing and treating osteoporosis.

There are three types of natto: large grains, small grains, and hikiwari. I like small grains of natto.
The type called hikiwari natto uses crushed soybeans as its raw material and produces more vitamin K than these types of natto.

Nevertheless,tsubu natto contains 600 mg per 100 g, while hikiwari natto contains 930 μg per 100 g, so either way the vitamin K2 is very high.

Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for making blood clotting factors, but if you are taking the drug warfarin, please avoid eating it as it will weaken the effectiveness of the drug.

About soy beans

Soybeans have been called “meat from the field” because they are rich in protein.

Protein, an important component of the body, is made up of 20 types of amino acids. Of the 20 types of amino acids, 9 essential amino acids cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food.

It is well known that amino acids play an important role in muscle strengthening and growth.

Japanese cuisine tends to be centered on grains and low in animal protein. In addition, rice, the staple food of the Japanese, is low in the essential amino acid lysine, while soybeans are rich in lysine.

On the other hand, soybeans are low in the amino acid methionine, while rice is rich in methionine.

Therefore, when rice and soybeans are eaten together, they can make up for each other’s deficiencies in terms of amino acid balance.

Meals that combine rice and soybeans, such as rice and natto, or rice and miso soup, can be evaluated nutritionally.

Soybean protein and linoleic acid, a type of soybean lipid, have cholesterol-lowering effects, which is why soybeans are known as a food that is good for maintaining health.

In addition, isoflavones, one of the components of soybeans, have excellent antioxidant properties and act like female hormones.

If you are concerned about osteoporosis, hypercholesterolemia, or menopausal symptoms, you should actively eat soybeans.

It’s better to eat soy on a daily basis rather than eating a lot at once. The recommended amount is about 50g of soybeans per day.

Soybean processing

Recipes using natto

Here are some recipes using natto. : Each article has details, so be sure to check them out.

natto harumamki

This is a recipe for spring rolls filled with natto and cheese. The distinctive aroma is enhanced with a fragrant savory flavor. Natto also pairs well with cheese, which is another fermented food.

oroshi natto

My best natto recipe is to mix natto with grated daikon radish and dried baby sardines. It’s delicious to eat as is, or on top of rice, udon, or somen noodles.

natto roll sushi

This is a recipe for natto roll sushi, which are made by placing sushi rice and natto on top of seaweed and rolling it up into a cylinder.

natto tarako spaghetti

Surprisingly, natto goes well with pasta as well as rice. The distinctive flavors of garlic, shiso, soy sauce and cod roe are exquisitely blended together.