Natto used to be a strange and unpalatable food for me when I first encountered it, but now it has become an essential breakfast item in my home, eaten about three times a week.
I was always curious why the Japanese were interested in such a sticky, snot-like and seemingly unappetizing food. After looking up information online, I learned about its high nutritional value and that it is considered one of the longevity foods by the Japanese. I don't reject things that are good for the body; in fact, I believe they're better than taking medicine.
After throwing away N boxes of uneaten natto, I fell in love with it. Both me and my partner have completely accepted its taste and even summarized several delicious ways to eat it. Natto is available in some cities in China like Beijing and Shanghai. If you're interested, you can try eating it my way, and I think you'll gradually fall in love with it too.
First, let me tell everyone that natto pairs well with several flavors. One is Korean spicy cabbage. Two is Italian tomato pizza sauce or tomato ketchup. Three is perilla sauce. Pairing natto with any of these three flavors, you will definitely not reject natto.
Today, let's make a natto pizza toast as a convenient and delicious breakfast.
*Pizza-style Natto Toast*
Ingredients: For 2 servings
- 1 box of natto
- 2 slices of toast
- 1 green pepper (sliced)
- 1 slice of bacon
- 2 cheese slices
Seasonings:
- A little bit of Italian tomato pizza sauce (or tomato ketchup)
(Note: This time I used ketchup because the pizza sauce was finished. However, I recommend using pizza sauce as it tastes better than ketchup.)
Instructions:
1. Cut the bacon into small strips. In a non-stick pan, fry the bacon until the oil comes out, then add the green pepper strips. Once slightly softened, remove and set aside.
2. Pour the seasoning packet included with the natto into the box. Stir evenly in one direction with chopsticks, preferably creating foam.
3. Spread tomato sauce evenly on the surface of the toast, then layer the natto on top. Add the stir-fried green pepper strips, bacon strips, and cover with a cheese slice.
4. Brush a thin layer of oil in a non-stick pan, place the prepared toast pizza inside, and grill over low heat until the bottom of the toast is golden brown and the cheese melts.
Wood禾’s Tips:
It is recommended to buy natto with seasoning packets that include perilla sauce. Tomato sauce can also be replaced with tomato ketchup, but the flavor may be slightly inferior.
Frying the green pepper strips removes the bitterness and improves the taste. You can also use bell peppers.
Natto with foam tastes better than without foam. If you don’t believe me, just give it a try.
This method is also suitable for ovens.