HOKKAIDO - A snack with the pungent smell and flavor of natto has been developed in Hakodate, Hokkaido, using no natto bacteria but delivering an aroma strong enough to make people react the moment the bag is opened.
The product, Hakodate Dai-Chan Potato Natto Flavor, was released in April with the Hokkaido dialect catchphrase "This Taste Makes You Laugh." First-time tasters reacted with surprise, saying the smell was unmistakably natto, with one noting that the aroma spread out like freshly mixed fermented soybeans.
The snack was jointly developed by a Hakodate natto maker and a snack manufacturer. The biggest challenge was that natto bacteria could not be used. Because natto bacteria multiply aggressively and can affect the quality of other products, they cannot be brought into the factory.
Instead, the developers mixed powdered soy sauce and seasonings to reproduce the flavor and smell of natto without using natto bacteria. The result is a "natto snack without natto," sold at souvenir shops and other outlets for 360 yen.
Daisaku Kobayashi, president of the Yamadai Group, said the company wanted people to discover and enjoy natto in a different form. Masayo Tanaka, president of Daini Bussan, said she was initially unsure when asked whether her company could make a natto snack, but was pleased to take part because of the desire to energize the local community through natto.
"Natto is freedom," Kobayashi and Tanaka said.
Whether a smelly snack can sell is not an entirely new question in Hokkaido. Jingisukan Caramel, a long-selling candy that became popular partly because of its reputation for tasting bad, has found success as a souvenir item.
At the Hitsujigaoka shop of the Sapporo Products Association, Tomomi Sugo said Jingisukan Caramel remains a popular product and sells well. A newlywed couple visiting from Gifu said it looked suitable as a souvenir, though one of them said he did not particularly like it. They said it would work as a casual gift to hand out one by one.
Tourists from Yamagata who tried the caramel while walking in Odori Park reacted strongly as the flavor set in. One said it may not be delicious, but added that it could be handed out to customers because it would likely liven up the conversation.
According to the developer of Jingisukan Caramel, the concept was "a snack you do not eat yourself." Its use in party games and as a conversation piece helped turn it into a hit.
Hakodate Dai-Chan Potato Natto Flavor is now aiming to use its smell in the same way. Kobayashi said the company describes the product with the phrase "smelly but funny." Tanaka emphasized that while the snack tastes like natto, it does not actually contain natto.
Some tasters responded positively, saying the smell was clearly natto but the snack was tasty and would go well with alcoholic drinks. Others said the natto smell was strong but enjoyable, while one person said the aroma was personally appealing and not bothersome at all.
The companies plan to expand sales nationwide.
Asked what kind of people he wanted to try the snack, Kobayashi said, "People who have not laughed recently. People who are bored or under stress. I want them to smell their hands and say, 'It stinks!' and laugh."
"Natto is freedom," Kobayashi and Tanaka said.
Source: 北海道ニュースUHB
