Nattojiru is a winter dish passed down mainly in the inland areas of Yamagata Prefecture — a soup in which natto (fermented soybeans), ground in a mortar until the beans are no longer visible, is stirred into a hearty miso soup to give it a thick, silky texture. In snowy Yamagata, it was customary to make homemade natto as a preserved winter food, and the dish is said to have originated as a way to use natto whose stickiness had weakened. For inland residents who had few opportunities to eat animal protein, it was a dish that supplemented protein through soybean-based natto and tofu. It has long been cherished as a nutritionally excellent dish, since adding imogara (dried taro stem), a preserved food, along with mushrooms, wild mountain vegetables, and konnyaku also provides vitamins and dietary fiber. The timing of when it is eaten varies by region: it is customary to eat it around the Nanakusa festival on January 7 in the Murayama region, at New Year's in the Mogami region, and on Daikoku-sama's Otoshiya (a year-end-eve tradition, in December) in the Shonai region. Because it takes considerable effort to prepare, fewer households make it from scratch today, but it is still passed down at inns, restaurants, and school lunches.
Origin
In the deep-snow region of Yamagata, there was a custom of making homemade natto as a preserved food to get through winter: steamed soybeans were packed into straw bundles and left in a warm place, such as near a kotatsu, for one or two nights. Nattojiru is said to have originated when natto with weak stickiness was ground in a mortar and stirred into a hearty miso soup, thickening it into the soup people ate.
History
For inland residents who had few opportunities to eat animal protein, the dish developed as a form of culinary wisdom: soy products supplemented protein, while imogara and wild mountain vegetables such as seri (Japanese parsley) provided vitamins at the same time. It is a beloved winter home dish across the entire prefecture, though the timing of when it is eaten differs by region — the Nanakusa festival in the Murayama region, New Year's in the Mogami region, and Otoshiya in the Shonai region — each passed down together with its own local way of life.
Features
Its defining feature is grinding the natto in a mortar until the beans are no longer visible, giving the soup a smooth thickness. Imogara (dried taro stem), a preserved food, is considered an essential ingredient, and tofu, fried tofu, wild mountain vegetables, mushrooms, and konnyaku are added to make a hearty, nutrient-rich winter soup.
Main Ingredients
Food Culture
It is customary to eat it around the Nanakusa festival on January 7 in the Murayama region, at New Year's in the Mogami region, and on Daikoku-sama's Otoshiya in the Shonai region, and it has been passed down as a winter dish tied to each region's annual events.
How It Differs from Home Cooking
Today, because it takes considerable effort, fewer households make it from scratch, but it is still passed down through local-cuisine menus at inns and restaurants and in school lunches. Ready-made nattojiru sets using pre-ground natto have also been developed, making the dish easier to prepare at home.
Famous Shops
川なり
山形県山形市香澄町1-21-3
An izakaya near Yamagata Station serving local cuisine, offering course meals of Yamagata home-style dishes such as nattojiru alongside local sake.
View details →| 最上納豆 納豆汁の素 | A packaged nattojiru set sold at Yamagata specialty shops and similar outlets, combining imogara and wild mountain vegetables so the soup can be made easily at home. As fewer households prepare it from scratch, it has become a standard souvenir that carries on the traditional flavor.Where to buy →PR |
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