Natto" is the soul food of the Japanese people. When I was a child, I was asked, "What is your favorite dish cooked by your mother? Natto gohan!" and he replied, "Natto gohan! My grandparents told me , "You must mix natto thoroughly before eating it. My grandparents told me to mix natto thoroughly before eating it, because it tastes better that way.

The more you mix natto , the better it tastes. I have heard this theory several times before, but is it really true? I was curious, so I decided to give it a try.

How many times should natto be mixed? I actually did it.

The product purchased was Mitsukan's "Kin no Tsubu Yamorotto Bean". I chose this product because the Halloween limited package was cute and because 90% of the natto sold at the supermarket I visited was ground soybeans.


The three packets were to be mixed 10, 100, and 1,000 times respectively.


First, 10 times. This is about the number of times I stir natto when I eat it at home. I finish stirring quickly.



Next is 100 times.After 60 times, the natto became very whitish.



Finally, 1,000 times.After 10 minutes of mixing, I reached 1,000 times.



From left to right: 10 times, 100 times, and 1,000 times. At a quick glance, 100 times gives the most airy impression.


Immediately after 1,000 mixes, it was quite plump and white, but the whiteness seems to have faded after a little time.

What is the taste you are interested in for each number of times you mix natto?

Ten times is characterized by the smooth texture of the beans and the skin that remains when chewed. The shape of the bean remains firmly in place.


As soon as I scooped it up, I heard the sound of air bubbles popping. 100 times, the beans were less smooth than 10 times. The texture of the skin still remained. The beans did not seem to have lost much of their shape. The consistency seems to have changed from "slimy" to "slimy "...


The expected 1,000 times. As soon as I scooped this one up, the air bubbles burst energetically. When I tried it...oh? To be honest, it doesn't seem that different from 100 times, does it? However, the smoothness of the beans has decreased considerably. Some of the chunks were broken up, and the texture was like mixing half of ground natto.

I tried mixing it 2,500 times.

1,000 times, which was less change than expected. Considering that the reason was that we did not eat it immediately after mixing and that we did not mix it enough times, we decided to make one that we kept mixing even more.



After another 15 minutes of mixing, it reached 2,500 times. Mr. Saeko from Nakameguro, who was passing by, muttered, "Wow..., something is going to be born. I immediately put it in my mouth.


In a word, freshly made meringue. It has a strange weight, and the sensation of it spreading in the mouth is indescribable. I know that the texture of the beans is present here and there, but I feel like I am eating a lump of sticky substance as it is. The background music of "The X Files" played in my brain.

Results of comparison of mixed natto

After comparing the results, I feel that 10 times was the best taste, even excluding the fact that I am used to eating it on a regular basis.

How much natto do you actually mix?

Come to think of it, how much do other households typically mix? Since we were in the mood, we asked other En-En-Ebi editors about the number of times they mix natto and why. The results are as follows.

Gastronomy Department Sally I think it's about 20 to 30 times. I heard that "the more you mix it, the more nutritious it gets" (laugh).

sushi rice in a box or bowl with a variety of ingredients I' m of the school that mixes until bubbly. I think I heard somewhere that "the more you mix it, the better it tastes..."

Saeko in Nakameguro I'm like: about 10 times! It's more like loosening than mixing. When I was a child, I was not very good at natto because my father was the type of person who mixes it well, but I have adjusted myself and reached the best number of times now.

After all, the more you mix, the better the theory. To find out the truth, we decided to call Mitsukan, the manufacturer of "Kin no Tsubu Yamorotto Bean" and ask them about it.

Calling Mitsukan and asking how many times to mix natto

Author. Natto: What is the best number of times to stir natto when eating natto?

Mitsukan Employee There is no best number of times to serve.

Author. Can I eat whatever I want?

Mitsukan Employee However, it is not recommended because over-mixing causes the beans to be crushed. Also, you can put the sauce either before or after mixing the natto. It is your choice.

Conclusion: It was better not to over-mix!

By the way, if you check the official web site of Takano Foods, which manufactures "Okame Natto"...

The taste of natto changes when the sticky ingredients come together and become airy and smooth to the tongue. It cannot be said that the more it is mixed, the better it tastes, as some people prefer it without stringiness.

Nutritional value is said to be unaffected by the number of times it is mixed.

There is a saying. The more you mix, the better theory, where the hell did you come from....

Summary of the number of times natto is mixed

The number of times to mix natto is a personal preference.
There is no evidence (so far) that the more you mix, the higher the nutritional value.
Rather, it is better to mix lightly.

Those who want to enjoy a thicker texture may want to mix about 10 times, while those who want a fluffy, airy texture may want to mix about 20 to 30 times. The more you mix, the stronger the smell of natto becomes, so if you want to suppress the smell, you may want to use sparingly. If you have a chance to eat natto, give it a try.