Japanese · side
Natto (納豆)
Natto (納豆) reads umami 7.0, salinity 6.2 and funk & ferment 3.8 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese side, about 5 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.
The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10
- Umami & Savory — 7.9 / 10
- Sweet & Fruity — 1.8 / 10
- Sour & Bright — 1.8 / 10
- Bitter & Earthy — 2.0 / 10
- Rich & Fat — 3.7 / 10
- Aromatic & Spice — 3.2 / 10
The measured notes (of 18)
Umami 7.0 · Salinity 6.2 · Funk & Ferment 3.8 · Nutty 3.0 · Herbaceous 2.9 · Richness 2.6 · Allium 2.3 · Earthy 1.8 · Sweetness 1.8 · Sourness 1.7 · Bitterness 1.4 · Heat 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.8
What's in it (6)
- 3 oz fermented soybeans (natto)
- 1 soy sauce tare packet
- 1 tsp Japanese mustard
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 cup cooked short-grain rice
- optional 1 raw egg
Time & effort: about 5 min · effort: easy
Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 162.3 kcal, 9.5 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 24.5 g carbs
Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.
How it's cooked (3 steps)
- Open the natto package and stir vigorously with chopsticks, developing the characteristic sticky strings.
- Season with the included tare sauce and mustard, then add scallions and any desired extras.
- Serve over hot rice, optionally topped with a raw egg yolk.
Dishes with a similar flavor shape
- Egg Fried Rice (蛋炒饭) — Chinese
- Lo Mein (捞面) — Chinese
- Udon (うどん) — Japanese
- Egg Foo Young with Chicken — Chinese-American
- Di San Xian (Three Earthly Treasures) — Chinese · Dongbei
Keep reading: what umami, salinity, funk & ferment mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.
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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.