Natto freezes exceptionally well; just thaw it in the fridge overnight before you want it.
: Best for sushi rolls or mixing into pasta.
Kenji wasn't buying it for his heart. He was buying it for a dare. Back at his apartment, he sat the package on his kitchen table. He peeled back the plastic film, and immediately, the room filled with an aroma that sat somewhere between aged Camembert and a locker room. buy natto
Kenji stood in the refrigerated aisle of the Japanese market, staring at the wall of small, square styrofoam packs. To the uninitiated, these were just beans. To Kenji, they were a challenge.
: The most common; easy to mix and eat with rice. Natto freezes exceptionally well; just thaw it in
The texture was undeniably alien—slick, stringy, and persistent. But then came the flavor: nutty, savory, and surprisingly deep. It was funky, yes, but beneath the "socks" smell was a richness that made him want a second bite. By the third, he found himself adding a bit of chopped green onion and a splash of extra soy sauce.
: Most packs come with the mustard (karashi) and sauce (tare) included under the lid. Storage : Keep it refrigerated if you'll eat it within a week. He was buying it for a dare
He took the tiny packets of hot mustard and dashi soy sauce, drizzling them over the beans. Then came the work. He picked up his chopsticks and began to stir. Ten times, twenty times, fifty times. The beans began to transform, spinning out long, iridescent threads of white slime—the "neba-neba" that purists prized. The more he stirred, the cloudier and stickier it became.