While praised for its health benefits and a staple of most Japanese diets, natto, or fermented soy beans, can be quite the acquired taste hill to climb for first-timers. Along with a sticky and stringy texture, the nutty-tasting health-food has quite the pungent aroma, which can be off-utting for the uninitiated. Even some that have eaten it since childhood will often mix it with other foods.

Japanese vinegar company Mizkan, which often shares helpful cooking tips and tricks on their Twitter account (such as why you shouldn't throw away your watermelon rinds) decided to help out those who might struggle with either the taste or the texture of the slimy beans.

Here's the simple advice on how to turn natto into a tasty and cheesy snack!

First, place one package of natto in a bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of potato starch, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon of grated garlic, and 50 g of pizza cheese, and mix well.

Spread the mixture into four equal portions in a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Cook until the cheese is crispy on both sides, place in a serving bowl, sprinkle with black pepper, and voila!

Mizkan's simple recipe combines the "fluffy" texture of natto with crispy cooked cheese, which helps mild out the taste while bringing out some rich umami flavor. The combo of fermented foods seems to have been a popular hit online as many are racing to try it out and swearing by it as a tasty upgrade. If you're looking to learn to love natto a bit more, give Mizkan's recipe a chance!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.