Hama Natto is a traditional fermented food of Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, made by fermenting soybeans with koji mold, aging them in salt water, and then drying them. The blackish-brown beans are not stringy and have a saltiness and umami resembling rich miso. This type of natto is called salted fermented soybeans (shiokara natto) or temple natto (tera-natto); it was introduced from China long ago and has been made at temples. The production method is said to have been transmitted during the Muromachi period to Daifukuji Temple in Mikkabi-cho, Hamana Ward, Hamamatsu City, where it is still handmade at the temple today as 'Daifukuji Natto.' It is said to have been a favorite of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the name is said to come from the words Ieyasu spoke while eagerly awaiting an offering of it: 'Has the Hamana natto not come yet?' In the Edo period it also became an offering to successive shoguns. Today it is also produced by breweries in the city, among others. Besides being eaten as is as a snack with drinks, it is used as a seasoning and as a secret ingredient in curry and mapo tofu. In elementary and junior high school lunches in Hamamatsu, curry with Hama Natto as a secret ingredient is also served.
Origin
Salted fermented soybeans are based on a food called kanshi (鹹豉) in China, and are said to have been introduced to Japan around the Nara period. Later, they were reintroduced by monks who had traveled to China, and because they were made at temples, they also came to be called temple natto. The production method is said to have been transmitted to Daifukuji Temple in Hamamatsu City by a monk from Ming China during the Muromachi period, and the salted fermented soybeans made at this temple are considered the origin of Hama Natto.
History
Daifukuji's natto is said to have been presented to the Ashikaga shogun family, Imagawa Yoshimoto, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and others. Ieyasu, who for a time was based at Hamamatsu Castle, was fond of this natto, and an anecdote remains that when the offering was delayed one year, Ieyasu said, 'Has the Hamana natto still not come?' This is said to be the origin of the names Hamana Natto and Hama Natto. In the Edo period it became an offering to successive shoguns, and it has been passed down in parts of Enshu (western Shizuoka Prefecture) and Higashi-Mikawa (eastern Aichi Prefecture).
Features
Soybeans that have been steamed or boiled are fermented with koji mold, then packed into barrels with salt water and aged. They are then dried, for example in the sun, to finish. The aging period varies by producer: about three months for Daifukuji Natto, while some breweries take more than a year. Daifukuji Natto is also characterized by mixing in sansho pepper peel at the finishing stage. The beans are blackish brown, with miso-like umami and strong saltiness, and a small amount gives a dish a sharper flavor.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
In Hamamatsu, Hama Natto has been used like a strongly salty seasoning. At elementary and junior high schools in Hamamatsu City, 'Ieyasu-kun Curry,' with Hama Natto as a secret ingredient, is served during 'Furusato (Hometown) School Lunch Week.' It provides an opportunity for children to become familiar with a traditional local food.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
Hama Natto is a preserved food that temples and breweries make over a long period of time. At Daifukuji, members of the temple family still make it by hand, and some breweries age it in barrels for more than a year. Households buy it and eat it as a snack with drinks, or use it as a secret ingredient in miso-simmered dishes, curry, and more.
Famous Shops
大福寺
静岡県浜松市浜名区三ヶ日町福長220-3
An ancient temple of the Koyasan Shingon sect, where members of the temple family still make by hand 'Daifukuji Natto,' considered the origin of Hama Natto. Koji mold is added to boiled soybeans, which are aged in salt water and dried naturally on the veranda of the guest hall before sansho pepper peel is mixed in to finish. It is said to be sold from around late October to late May in a typical year.
ヤマヤ醤油
静岡県浜松市中央区助信町15-1
A brewery founded in 1850 that makes Hama Natto entirely by hand through every step, using a method handed down since the Edo period. Soybeans from Hokkaido are steamed and fermented with koji mold, then salt water is added and they are aged in barrels for more than a year. It can also be purchased at places such as the souvenir shops inside JR Hamamatsu Station.
View details →| 大福寺納豆みそまん (入河屋) | A manju (filled bun) made with Daifukuji Natto by 入河屋, a confectioner in Mikkabi-cho founded in 1885 (Meiji 18). There is also '大福寺納豆かりんとうみそまん,' finished in the style of karinto (a fried, sugar-coated snack). The main shop is located at 静岡県浜松市浜名区三ヶ日町下尾奈83-1. |
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FAQ
Q. How is Hama Natto different from stringy natto?
A. Ordinary stringy natto is made by fermenting boiled soybeans with natto bacteria, which produces stickiness and strings. Hama Natto is fermented with koji mold rather than natto bacteria, aged in salt water, and then dried, so it does not form strings. Its flavor is also closer to miso or soy sauce than to natto, and it is used like a strongly salty seasoning.
Q. Where does the name 'Hama Natto' come from?
A. It is said to derive from Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was fond of Daifukuji's natto, urging 'Has the Hamana natto not come yet?' in a year when the offering was delayed. This 'Hamana no natto' (natto of Hamana) is said to have become the names Hamana Natto and Hama Natto. It is also said that before then it was called karanatto (唐納豆).