Definitions
Natto: Traditional samurai food, made of fermented soybeans. Known for preventing heart attacks and strokes, as well as food poisoning and intestinal disorders.
Hamburger: Traditional cowboy food, made of buns, lettuce (or sometimes in Japan, shredded cabbage), tomatoes, onions, pickles, and ground meat patty. Known for causing heart attacks and strokes, as well as food poisoning and intestinal disorders.
Nattoburger: A hamburger topped with natto; a perfect blend of east and west, yin and yang, dogs and cats sleeping together!
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History of the Nattoburger
On March 19, 2006, Justin A. Yoshida was perusing the menu at the JOYFULL family restaurant located on route 169 in Tenri, Japan (just down the street from the highway entrance).
“I want to eat a hamburger,” he thought.
Then seconds later, “and yet, I also want to eat natto.”
At that moment, heaven and earth became as one before his very eyes, and Divine Truth was bestowed upon him:
A star was born! In the months that followed, the Nattoburger became a cult favorite and started popping up on menus of a thousand mom & pop sushi bars, takoyaki stands, and shaved ice vendors. Its popularity grew and grew, until this very day, when you can walk into a McDonalds in Podunk, Idaho, and order your very own fermented soybean-topped McNatto(TM)!
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Additional Images
The inventor of the nattoburger having a feed. “It just came to me one day.”
Raising a family in Thailand // Documenting Issan food, culture, music, and people
Jocko Jr’s is down the street. The frozen natto is in the freezer. What just may be the first NattoBurger event in the US will occur shortly.
BTW, the pictured burger looks suspiciously like one of them sliders from White Castle.
Oh man, I think I’m gonna retch. Bah … and I thought natto ice cream was bad …
Nas-tay. Although strangely I’d like to try one. Doubt I could get one over here in Korea though.
First reaction: God, that’s gross. I’ve given natto a chance in combination with many foods, but it has never worked, aside from soy sauce and togarashi of course.
Was it a tasty burger? I can’t imagine it fulfilled either your need for burger or your need for natto…
It was gooooooood. It made a very mediocre burger quite delicious. There are a couple of improvements that can be made natto-wise; I will try adding chopped up kimchi, an egg yolk (Taro’s idea), and a dash of goma abura (sesame oil) next time. I’m telling you, this has all the markings of a classic burger…
How about adding a dollop of eggy Best Foods Mayonnaise, shoyu and freshly fried bacon bits to the natto? Add a crispy fried onion ring to that bad boy and have fun!
What was the man thinking! Not only is natto singularly disgusting, look at the dribble on the man’s face. If I didn’t know that was natto, I might think otherwise…
Hey, hey, hey. Don’t go comparing a bit of chopped cabbage to a faceful of dribbling nut, now. You don’t know me that well.
– “the man”