page_title: Nattō
section_title: Close relatives
hierarchical_section_title: Nattō / Close relatives
context_page_description: Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans that have been fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto. It is often served as a breakfast food. It is served with karashi mustard, soy sauce, and sometimes Japanese bunching onion. Nattō is often considered an acquired taste because of its powerful smell, strong flavor, and sticky, slimy texture. Within Japan, nattō is most popular in the eastern regions, including Kantō, Tōhoku, and Hokkaido, and a 2009 survey revealed that 70.2% of Japanese people find the taste pleasant, and others who may not find the taste of the food pleasant still eat it for health benefits.
context_section_description: Many countries produce similar traditional soybean foods fermented with Bacillus subtilis, such as shuǐdòuchǐ (水豆豉) of China, cheonggukjang (청국장) of Korea, thuanao (ถั่วเน่า) of Thailand, kinema of Nepal and the Himalayan regions of West Bengal and Sikkim, tungrymbai of Meghalaya, hawaijaar of Manipur, bekang um of Mizoram, akhuni of Nagaland, and piak of Arunachal Pradesh, India.
  In addition, certain West African bean products are fermented with the bacillus, including dawadawa, sumbala, and iru, made from néré seeds or soybeans, and ogiri, made from sesame or melon seeds.
caption: Natto-kinema-thuanao triangle