WEBVTT
00:00:00.632 --> 00:00:05.145
♪ (meditative calm music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:00:17.416 --> 00:00:24.328 line:1
(Ann Yonetani) It's true that natto
has this very unique gooey, sticky texture
00:00:24.328 --> 00:00:27.051 line:1
but to me that's fun!
00:00:27.051 --> 00:00:30.075
You know, it's interesting.
(laughter)
00:00:30.889 --> 00:00:32.944
It's something to talk about.
NOTE Paragraph
00:00:37.664 --> 00:00:41.190
Natto truly is the Japanese cheese.
00:00:42.023 --> 00:00:44.483
It's a vegan version
00:00:44.483 --> 00:00:50.304
of a really complex, umami-rich,
00:00:50.304 --> 00:00:52.625
like washed rind cheese.
00:00:52.978 --> 00:00:56.965
And yeah, many cheese lovers
really enjoy natto
00:00:56.965 --> 00:01:00.962
and see that parallel in flavor profile.
00:01:00.962 --> 00:01:06.063
It's a food that I feel like
more people need to have access to
00:01:06.898 --> 00:01:09.971
because I think that
can benefit a lot of people
00:01:09.971 --> 00:01:12.419
by incorporating it into their diets.
NOTE Paragraph
00:01:12.878 --> 00:01:18.219
Hi, my name is Ann Yonetani,
I'm the founder and owner of NYrture Food
00:01:18.219 --> 00:01:21.209
which makes natto in Brooklyn, New York.
00:01:21.716 --> 00:01:25.887
Natto is really a ubiquitous food,
00:01:25.887 --> 00:01:30.609
an everyday food that's most commonly
eaten for breakfast.
NOTE Paragraph
00:01:31.289 --> 00:01:37.626
Yes, I feel like I have sort of taken on
the mission of being a cheerleader,
00:01:37.626 --> 00:01:40.459
a spokesperson,
00:01:40.459 --> 00:01:44.432
an evangelist for natto in America.
00:01:44.432 --> 00:01:48.416
And it really is because I truly believe
00:01:48.416 --> 00:01:52.160
that natto is just so special,
00:01:52.160 --> 00:01:53.459
so unique...
NOTE Paragraph
00:01:53.459 --> 00:02:00.561
I think if there's any food on earth
that deserves to be called a superfood
00:02:00.561 --> 00:02:01.448
is natto.
NOTE Paragraph
00:02:02.858 --> 00:02:05.952
♪ (slow piano music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:02:11.413 --> 00:02:12.191
It's good.
NOTE Paragraph
00:02:12.865 --> 00:02:16.700
In a weird way, I'm an urban farmer,
00:02:16.700 --> 00:02:18.316
an urban micro farmer.
00:02:18.890 --> 00:02:23.523
I grow bacteria,
and those bacteria eat soybeans,
00:02:23.523 --> 00:02:26.168
and they help me produce natto.
NOTE Paragraph
00:02:26.588 --> 00:02:29.122
Yeah, I'm a nerd.
(laughter)
NOTE Paragraph
00:02:33.990 --> 00:02:40.296
This is day one of
Nyrture's natto-making-process.
00:02:40.508 --> 00:02:43.767
Every batch starts with this step,
00:02:43.767 --> 00:02:46.676
which is me hand-sorting
through the beans.
00:02:48.621 --> 00:02:52.692
I kind of love this step--
I love this step and I hate this step
00:02:52.692 --> 00:02:58.080
but there's something very meditative
about the process
00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:02.017
and our beans are beautiful,
I mean, they're so clean,
00:03:02.017 --> 00:03:06.652
you know, 99.9% of them look fantastic.
00:03:07.157 --> 00:03:12.357
I'd like to think that
every single natto bean we sell
00:03:12.357 --> 00:03:14.898
has passed underneath my eyes.
NOTE Paragraph
00:03:15.391 --> 00:03:19.830
I'm a microbiologist, actually,
that's how I got into this business,
00:03:19.830 --> 00:03:26.841
just being fascinated by
the power of the microbial world.
00:03:28.324 --> 00:03:33.788
I'm interested in how consuming
some of these good bacterias,
00:03:33.788 --> 00:03:39.248
these probiotic-types of bacteria
in the form of fermented food
00:03:39.248 --> 00:03:41.858
has that impact in human health.
NOTE Paragraph
00:03:44.227 --> 00:03:45.962
Our first products--
00:03:45.962 --> 00:03:50.954
So those little white dots
are actually chemically-pure umami taste.
NOTE Paragraph
00:03:51.341 --> 00:03:57.821
There is written documentation
describing natto for over a 1000 years.
00:03:58.198 --> 00:04:02.075
In the West and in America
is virtually unknown.
00:04:02.075 --> 00:04:08.115
It makes me think that if more adults
will come to natto with just an open mind,
00:04:08.398 --> 00:04:14.238
a lot more of them might find
that they actually like it. (chuckles)
NOTE Paragraph
00:04:15.092 --> 00:04:19.720
This might be excessive
but I wash them ten times,
00:04:21.210 --> 00:04:24.451
you know, soak them, entertain them,
00:04:24.451 --> 00:04:26.824
and then, dump out the water.
00:04:26.824 --> 00:04:29.331
And then, they sit in the bath overnight,
00:04:29.331 --> 00:04:34.179
so that the beans are able to hydrate.
00:04:35.449 --> 00:04:39.655
They will swell to over twice
their weight and volume.
NOTE Paragraph
00:04:40.605 --> 00:04:42.975
When I first learned how to make natto
00:04:42.975 --> 00:04:46.774
from a fifth-generation
natto-maker in Tokio,
00:04:48.272 --> 00:04:51.450
he told me that the most important step
00:04:51.450 --> 00:04:55.938
was to choose the best beans you could
to start with,
00:04:57.488 --> 00:04:58.716
and he was right.
NOTE Paragraph
00:05:03.976 --> 00:05:10.186
The best natto soybeans in America
00:05:10.186 --> 00:05:14.050
are grown in the northern midwest,
00:05:14.050 --> 00:05:16.107
mostly in North Dakota.
00:05:17.501 --> 00:05:20.090
And something that
a lot of people don't realize
00:05:20.090 --> 00:05:24.072
is that most of the natto
that is made in the world,
00:05:25.641 --> 00:05:29.457
i.e. the natto that is made
and sold in Japan,
00:05:29.457 --> 00:05:33.096
it's actually, most of it,
is made from US-grown soy,
00:05:33.508 --> 00:05:37.554
and the bulk for that, also,
from North Dakota, specifically.
00:05:37.804 --> 00:05:41.267
We also have black soybeans
00:05:41.267 --> 00:05:45.607
and then, we have another brown bean
which is certified organic.
NOTE Paragraph
00:05:46.974 --> 00:05:54.000
Natto soybeans are very different
from the typical commodity soybean.
00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.971
That's their non-GMO certified definition.
00:05:58.511 --> 00:06:04.937
But soybeans that are used to make natto
by any decent natto-maker
00:06:04.937 --> 00:06:10.812
are really beans that have been
carefully selected over generations
00:06:10.812 --> 00:06:15.061
to be ideal for this particular
fermentation process.
NOTE Paragraph
00:06:15.637 --> 00:06:18.097
♪ (music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:06:28.193 --> 00:06:31.443
What makes Nyrture's natto unique:
00:06:31.443 --> 00:06:33.783
Our natto is fresh,
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:36.743
it's never been frozen,
00:06:36.743 --> 00:06:41.171
unlike all the natto
that is imported from Japan--
00:06:41.171 --> 00:06:43.269
it's frozen before export.
NOTE Paragraph
00:06:44.261 --> 00:06:45.167
That's important,
00:06:45.167 --> 00:06:51.065
one, because freezing and thawing food
can really affect its taste and texture,
00:06:51.517 --> 00:06:57.716
but two, if people are motivated
by eating natto for its health benefits,
00:06:57.716 --> 00:07:01.483
freezing and thawing,
also, significantly damage
00:07:01.483 --> 00:07:03.486
those health benefits, as well.
NOTE Paragraph
00:07:04.100 --> 00:07:05.279
(Liza) How is it?
NOTE Paragraph
00:07:05.834 --> 00:07:11.288
Good, they're nice and soft,
has some sugar to it, it's sweet...
NOTE Paragraph
00:07:11.734 --> 00:07:15.668
It has at least three
completely unique properties
00:07:15.668 --> 00:07:19.044
that are unlike any other food on earth.
NOTE Paragraph
00:07:19.957 --> 00:07:22.702
Number one, it's probiotic.
00:07:22.702 --> 00:07:26.318
It's fermented with Bacillus subtilis,
00:07:26.318 --> 00:07:30.671
which is a member
of the healthy gut microbiome,
00:07:30.671 --> 00:07:32.860
so it's a probiotic bacteria
00:07:32.860 --> 00:07:38.252
that isn't found in any other
fermented food certainly in the West.
NOTE Paragraph
00:07:38.572 --> 00:07:40.141
The second one is that
00:07:40.141 --> 00:07:45.799
natto is the most concentrated
food source of vitamin K2
00:07:45.799 --> 00:07:47.818
of any food on earth,
00:07:47.818 --> 00:07:50.742
and it beats any other
by an order of magnitude.
00:07:50.742 --> 00:07:56.208
Vitamin K2 is essential for bone health
00:07:56.208 --> 00:08:00.419
but it's also very important
for cardiovascular health.
00:08:00.419 --> 00:08:04.173
It doesn't matter
how much calcium you eat,
00:08:04.173 --> 00:08:06.702
if you don't have enough vitamin K2
00:08:06.702 --> 00:08:10.731
to help recruit it out of your bloodstream
and bring it to to your bones,
00:08:10.731 --> 00:08:14.606
it accumulates and causes
arterial calcification,
00:08:14.606 --> 00:08:16.319
and leads to heart disease.
NOTE Paragraph
00:08:16.817 --> 00:08:22.305
The third reason is that
there's an enzyme named after natto;
00:08:22.305 --> 00:08:24.597
it's called nattokinase,
00:08:24.597 --> 00:08:29.309
and this enzyme is
a natural blood thinner.
00:08:29.772 --> 00:08:34.493
It has an enzymatic activity which,
actually, has been shown
00:08:34.493 --> 00:08:38.361
to be capable of
breaking down blood clots,
00:08:39.227 --> 00:08:43.187
and the only natural source of it
00:08:43.187 --> 00:08:44.385
is natto.
NOTE Paragraph
00:08:44.385 --> 00:08:50.780
Well, there are some cardiologists
who are starting to promote natto.
00:08:50.780 --> 00:08:57.082
We're really hoping to work
with healthcare providers
00:08:57.082 --> 00:09:01.083
to educate them and help them
educate their patients.
NOTE Paragraph
00:09:01.083 --> 00:09:03.915
Whether your reason is the vitamin K2,
00:09:03.915 --> 00:09:05.891
or the nattokinase content,
00:09:05.891 --> 00:09:08.198
or the probiotics,
00:09:08.198 --> 00:09:13.934
why not at least give it a try
and eat the food which is,
00:09:13.934 --> 00:09:16.557
one, delicious, I think,
00:09:16.557 --> 00:09:19.790
two, cheaper than taking a pill,
00:09:19.790 --> 00:09:23.847
and three, you get all three
of these benefits at once.
NOTE Paragraph
00:09:24.192 --> 00:09:30.849
They sit here and age and acquire
flavors in a week or so.
NOTE Paragraph
00:09:30.849 --> 00:09:36.625
Many Japanese people have told me
that our natto is the most delicious natto
00:09:36.625 --> 00:09:40.088
that they've ever had
either here or even in Japan,
00:09:40.837 --> 00:09:42.771
which is great to hear.
NOTE Paragraph
00:09:42.771 --> 00:09:49.194
I've also gone to
the National Natto Competition in Japan
00:09:49.194 --> 00:09:53.302
and met many natto producers from Japan,
00:09:53.302 --> 00:09:58.339 line:1
and also have gotten very high praise
from natto producers in Japan.
NOTE Paragraph
00:10:00.054 --> 00:10:03.195
♪ (exciting music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:10:04.392 --> 00:10:07.175
I think the favorite moment of mine
00:10:07.175 --> 00:10:12.253
in the entire week-long-process
of making the natto
00:10:12.253 --> 00:10:18.199
is that moment after the fermentation
is complete
00:10:18.199 --> 00:10:22.161
when I get to just pull back the film
00:10:22.161 --> 00:10:24.859
on a fresh tray of natto
00:10:24.859 --> 00:10:27.913
and just see that neba-neba stickiness,
00:10:27.913 --> 00:10:33.098
those spiderwebs
sort of coming off the beans--
00:10:33.098 --> 00:10:38.634
And sort of, the more resistance
I have from those strings,
00:10:38.634 --> 00:10:42.717
the better I know the fermentation is,
the better the natto,
00:10:42.717 --> 00:10:48.170
so it also serves as a quality control
assessment at the same time,
00:10:48.170 --> 00:10:55.318
but I love that feeling
of the biofilm resisting my pull.
NOTE Paragraph
00:10:55.318 --> 00:10:56.740
(laughter)
NOTE Paragraph
00:10:56.911 --> 00:11:00.219
♪ (exciting music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:11:00.502 --> 00:11:04.632
So yeah, we really look at this
as a long game
00:11:04.632 --> 00:11:08.372
and we're at the very beginning
of it right now
00:11:08.372 --> 00:11:14.354
but I suspect it may take 10 years,
maybe 20 years,
00:11:14.354 --> 00:11:19.497
for natto to become known enough
00:11:19.497 --> 00:11:22.420
for people to recognize it
00:11:22.420 --> 00:11:25.262
as a thing, as a food.
(chuckles)
NOTE Paragraph
00:11:25.262 --> 00:11:30.747
It'll take a while and a lot of education,
00:11:30.747 --> 00:11:33.353
and exposure like this,
00:11:33.353 --> 00:11:35.008
to just spread the word.
00:11:35.522 --> 00:11:38.428
♪ (gentle music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:11:49.076 --> 00:11:52.973
Our logo... many people
comment on our logo.
00:11:53.580 --> 00:11:56.907
It's actually a mathematical function,
00:11:56.907 --> 00:12:00.859
it's a Fermat's spiral
or a parabolical spiral,
00:12:00.859 --> 00:12:02.960
and I love it because at the center of it
00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:05.751
it kind of look like a ying-yang symbol,
00:12:05.751 --> 00:12:09.945
and to me it represents
the two ingredients in our food,
00:12:09.945 --> 00:12:13.745
the soybean and the probiotic bacteria,
00:12:13.745 --> 00:12:16.235
that are coming together and synergizing
00:12:16.235 --> 00:12:19.895
and making something better,
bigger, more beautiful
00:12:19.895 --> 00:12:22.375
than the two components alone.
NOTE Paragraph
00:12:23.254 --> 00:12:26.032
♪ (outro music) ♪
NOTE Paragraph
00:12:26.202 --> 00:12:29.729
English subtitles by Jenny Lam-Chowdhury
www.eatingwithmyfivesenses.com