What is the name of this meal?

[Hoshi_Ryu]

I read about it in the book Hiragana Gambatte but forgot the name. It's a concoction made with rice, tofu, and egg and is sometimes eaten with mustard. People say that if you can eat it, then you have grown truely fond of Japanese culture.
Anyone heard of it?

[Earl Hartman]

Without more information it's hard to say, but I think you may be talking about ojiya, or rice porridge. It is quite tasty, especially when it is very cold out, or when you are sick or hungover.

I never found it particularly difficult to eat, or so strange to Western tastes, however, so perhaps you are talking about something else.

[Tri-ring]

Originally posted by Hoshi_Ryu
I read about it in the book Hiragana Gambatte but forgot the name. It's a concoction made with rice, tofu, and egg and is sometimes eaten with mustard. People say that if you can eat it, then you have grown truely fond of Japanese culture.
Anyone heard of it?

Hi Hartman-san,

I think the dish you are referring to is "Natto" or fermented soy beans. You probably confused Tofu with this dish since they are both made from Soy beans.
Natto is pretty easy to make boil the Soy beans then rap them in sanitized rice straw.(If you are able to get them)
The straw already has the nato fungi on them so leave it for 24 hours and your cooking.
here is a link to whom ever is interested.
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Foodpia/1751/natto.html

[Ben Bartlett]

I thought natto was just the fermented soy beans themselves (at least that's what I've always gotten when I've asked for it ;-) ). Surely if you add things like rice and eggs you've now got some sort of dish, potentially with aname of its own?

That said, the "truly grown fond of Japanese culture" bit does sound like something that would be said for natto. The principal of the school I worked at when I was over there swore I was Japanese, because I liked natto and umeboshi. Really, though, I just like to eat. :D

[Tri-ring]

Originally posted by Ben Bartlett
That said, the "truly grown fond of Japanese culture" bit does sound like something that would be said for natto. The principal of the school I worked at when I was over there swore I was Japanese, because I liked natto and umeboshi. Really, though, I just like to eat. :D

Hi Ben-san
Your principal is right "YOU" are a true Japanese. Some people here in Japan doesn't appriciate this delicacy.
You are also right concerning the dish, natto is the name of the fermented soy beans themselves and the dish described is properly called "Natto gohan" (although most Japanese will probably drop off the gohan part)
The link I posted also discribes the "proper way" to feast this dish.

How to eat natto:
Take an eatable amount into a small container and stur it so that you can get strong stickiness. Then further mix small amount of soy-sauce, mustard and sliced leeks.
If you eat natto together with a hot rice,it will be very tasty.

Concider it as butter on your toast.

[P Goldsbury]

ŽO—Ö‚³‚ñ?A

I appreciate your efforts to enhance the appreciation of natto, but here in Hiroshima, those who appreciate natto plus rice, raw egg and nori are decidedly in the minority. I have this discussion so many times with Japanese friends and colleagues. On the one hand, natto is wonderful in taste and also very good for health (of course); it s also the defining characteristic of those who 'truly' understand Japanese ?H•¶‰». On the other hand the dividing line between those Japanese who appreciate natto and those who, apparently, do not must be around Kobe, with those south of the line consigned to outer darkness.

Personally, I cannot stand the stuff prepared in the way you describe, but occasionally eat it with raw egg, rice and nori.

Finally, as a moderator of E-Budo, I suggest you add your full name in kanji (ŽO—Ö?K‰î) to your profile. 'Three Rings' is a very good interpretation your family name, but breaks the rule of this forum about signing your posts with your full name. Actually, to obtain the kanji in brackets above, I typed Miwa Kousuke. Is this correct?

Anyway, welcome to E-Budo and we look forward to receiving more posts, especially relating to Japanese culture and language.

[Tri-ring]

To Peter-san

I thank you for your welcome to this forum.
I do not have any intentions to offend anybody within this site.
As you can see my full name in kanji is on the profile. I pursume
that is how you got my given name Kosuke.
I use Tri-ring as my my handle name for I believe it is easier to remember for most westerners.

As for natto, as I wrote in my earlier posting
Some people here in Japan doesn't appriciate this delicacy.
I just didn't go into details concerning difference in preference between the west and east part of Japan.
I hope we can talk more on many more subjects.