Natto
/ˈnæt.oʊ/noun
A Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, known for its sticky texture and strong aroma.
Did you know?Natto’s name is traditionally connected with temple or monastic storehouses, where fermented beans could be preserved as a practical food source.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, 1st millennium BCE
Old Chinese
豆 (*məːʔ)
“Bean; originally associated with a ritual food vessel before becoming the ordinary word for beans”
Middle Chinese, c. 6th–10th centuries
Middle Chinese
豆 (dɨuX)
“Bean or legume; the source of the Sino-Japanese reading tō”
Classical Japanese, c. 8th–12th centuries
Japanese
納 (nō)
“To put away, store, or deposit”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
納豆 (nattō)
“Literally “stored beans,” referring to beans preserved through fermentation; the precise origin story is traditionally debated”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
納豆 (nattō)
“Fermented soybeans, commonly eaten with rice and seasonings”
20th Century
English
natto
“An English culinary loanword for the Japanese fermented soybean dish”
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