We often praise the diversity of the Japanese cuisine and tell you about all the delicious things you can get in the streets of most Japanese cities but today we will introduce you to a dish that has a lot more critics than most other Japanese dishes, a dish that we can not assure will fit your taste. This article will be about a Japanese food that many people feel a love-hate relationship for, a food that triggers quite a controversy when it comes to its taste, texture and in particular its smell: Nattō (納豆)

Nattō is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans. It is served with soy sauce, karashi mustard and onion. Nattō has a distinctive smell, reminding of cheese. Stirring nattō produces lots of sticky strings.

Sources differ about the earliest origin of nattō. The materials and tools needed to produce nattō commonly have been available in Japan since ancient times. It has been described as likely being an ancient food.
Nattō is occasionally used in other foods, such as nattō sushi, nattō toast, soups, salads or as an ingredient in Okonomiyaki or noodle dishes. 

Many find the taste unpleasant and smelly, while others think of it as a delicacy. Nattō is more popular in some areas of Japan than in others. It’s hard to make a demographic about people liking or disliking Nattō because everybody has a different taste so the only real way to find out is to try it. There aren’t much grey areas for Nattō, most people either love or hate it. What about you?