You may think that taking taking over three months to make a second part to this generously two-parted series means I've pretty well abandoned the idea, but you'd be wrong. Well not entirely wrong; the century eggs I could do without, but I still love the gluey rice porridge to accompany them and I like to think I've dedicated my recipe of mottled eggs, a cross between Asian soy dyed eggs and the Jewish hamine eggs, to the fabulously bizarre appearance of the century eggs. The truth is in fact I've left it so long is because of being truly busy and the exhaustion of starting college. Most importantly too I should add, I wanted to be certain I really liked natto, the famously polarising dish of fermented soy beans, and after wolfing down three boxes of the enticingly named natto before writing, I can be certain that fermented slimy beans can make a convert of a sceptic.
Over here in the western world texture isn't as widely celebrated as in the East, and by widely I mean that if food doesn't have a jaw wrenching crunch it's not to be contemplated- there's very little appreciation for the other sides of the scale. In Japan, where these beans hale, there is a huge love for slimey foods, foods that slick over your tongue and leave trails of gooiness over your chin, and it's this quality of natto that draws me to it. The slime coating developed from when the soy beans ferment, form long, sticky strings that you have to tug and pull at with your chopsticks to get them in your mouth- I'm not exaggerating here, if you ate these beans near a fan you'd be clearing the trails of it for months. All I can say is that this wildly strange mouthfeel has to be experienced to be valued; you may find it repulsive, or you may find it addictive (like I do). A trick to help handle that sometimes troubling stickiness is to take a pile of beans, shovel them in and quickly roll your serving implement to tie off the strings so they don't entangle themselves all over your face, joyous though that can be.
However, texture is only half the bargain. I'm sure you all want to know how these taste. The beans are fermented and thus taste fermented, but it's in a lovely way like strong cheddar or powerful beer. They have muskiness and fungal qualities, along with a cheesey tang. The solid beans also give a starchiness that helps round off the slime's pungency. One thing I should mention however is don't expect to like these on their own; the packets of it you buy in individual serving containers almost always come with a sachet of hot mustard and soy sauce- use them! If you don't wish to do what the packet tells you, and I sympothise with all you punky extroverts, dab the beans with however much hot English mustard and tamari you want.
I have no recipe for these, I just have loose instructions of how to eat them. Firstly, buying- they almost always come frozen in Asian groceries, so keep them that way. Stash them in your freezer and make sure to take them out a good day before you wish to eat them They make an excellent lunch, but they are traditionally served for breakfast, due to their protein rich healthiness that helps the day begin in an invigorating way. I have to say, their potent taste wakes you up better than many cups of coffee.
Ensure the beans have thoroughly thawed and came to room temperature, then stick a pot of rice on. Rinse 1/2 a mug of long grain rice under cold water, then cover with 1 mug cold water. I always use my beloved rice cooker kindly given to me by a beloved Gabrielle for this as you need only switch the machine on and it keeps your rice perfect and hot for when you need. Otherwise, bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan, clamp on a lid, lower the heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes before fluffing up with a fork and serving. If you wanted, you could make the rice when you take the natto out of the freezer at night, then reheat it to serve with the thawed beans in the morning. I love the rice hot, but NEVER heat the natto up or you'll be stuck with a fermented fug over your kitchen for days. To prep the beans, use a chopstick to vigorously stir the beans until they seem lighter and slimier, then stir in the seasoning. Tip the beans in a pile over a bowl of rice and top with some snipped spring onions. Some like to top with an egg yolk to mix the golden goo into the rice.
Don't sneer at the idea of eating stuff renowned for being a challenge to eat- not only does this taste great, but the vast health benefits light up your cells and your soul (that's if you have one).
