I continue to eat various types of natto, which is a bit irreplaceable here. Of course, it is expensive, but you can include it in your monthly luxury list. There are plenty of delicious things in the world.

In the barren land of natto in Osaka, there is a natto specialty store called "Kogane-ya Shokuhin." It is located in a factory area off the Shinnonji Line in Osaka Prefecture, so it can be a bit difficult to find. I never really thought about it before, but apparently, "hikiwari natto (natto that is finely chopped)" is made by finely cutting dried and hard soybeans before turning them into natto. Inside the store, there was a display of the soybeans used, which were finely chopped. I purchased three types of natto as hikiwari natto was sold out. The prices were a bit lower than buying in a regular store, and the attached natto sauce was mild and free of chemical seasonings. The natto had a gentle sweetness from the soybeans, and you could feel the maker's dedication. Natto is a healthy fermented food that originated in Japan, and it has a mild smell, making it worth a try even for those who don't like natto. Enjoy your meal!

The other day, I visited a natto specialty store (which may be rare in Kansai). It's not a place with a dining area, but rather a direct sales space attached to the entrance of the factory, where you can place your order from the menu and they will fetch it from the factory for you. They offer around 10 types of regular natto products and 18 types of made-to-order natto, as well as natto dressing and natto sauce. I tried various items and overall, here are my impressions: - Beans: The beans are firm but soft both on the outside and inside. They seem to have been properly fermented with natto bacteria throughout. I wonder what impression this softness and moisture content would give to people from the Kanto region, compared to the mass-produced natto sold in supermarkets. - Stringiness: The natto has a decent amount of stickiness and strength in the stringiness. It has a noticeable smell, along with a hint of leafy vegetable-like scent, reminiscent of cabbage cores. This might be due to the fermentation process, but it gives off a milder aroma. - Sauce: The sauce is a Kansai-style, lightly flavored bonito-based sauce. It's different from the mass-produced natto that tries to mask the taste with the sauce. However, personally, I feel that it might be a bit too lightly flavored to enhance the original taste of natto. I wonder if this is how it's made to cater to the taste buds of people in Kansai, and I'm curious to hear the opinions of those from the Kanto region, where natto culture is more prevalent.