Natto

So Eric and I went to check out the Asian grocery the other day. That’s a great thing about having guests, you finally do the things you have intended to do, but just haven’t gotten to yet. It was cool because after his three years in Japan, he’s pretty good at reading the packaging. On his recommendation we bought some natto, a kind of fermented soy bean dish many Japanese eat for breakfast. He says everyone there swears to its health benefits, that you go to the doctor with the flu, he'll say, “Go home and eat natto.”

It’s not nasty tasting, but its distinctive smell, and the way the there are strings of goo between the beans take some getting used to. I ate half the contents of my little polystyrene container, and he said that was pretty good for a first-timer, as it has been known to make people gag. However, if I keep practicing and get hard core, I can start to add chives, a raw egg, and soy sauce. Something to aspire to in the future.