Why is natto sticky and stringy?
Nattou is made by sprinkling a bacterium called nattou fungus on boiled soybeans. This bacterium is not a disease-causing bacterium, but a good bacterium that is useful to people.
In nature, this bacterium is found in rice straw. When soybeans are sprayed with natto bacteria and left at about 42°C for 16 to 18 hours, natto is produced by the bacteria.
The sticky threads are also produced by the natto bacteria and are mainly made of gamma-polyglutamic acid.
