March 14, 2012
7. Natto dates back to the Edo Period.
The Japanese have eaten natto since the late years of the Edo Period, which lasted between 1600 and 1868. Back then, they packed prepared soybeans in rice straw and left it to ferment in a warm spot. That straw contains a bacteria called Bacillus subtilis natto, which transforms the beans into the sticky, stinky food we know today.
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