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[Yamaya Soy Sauce’s Hamanatto] Fermented food without food additives, preservatives, or chemical seasonings! The secret of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s longevity? !
Hamanatto is a fermented food made by fermenting soybeans with koji mold and aging them for over a year.
Although it is called “natto,” it is actually a member of the miso family. It is said to have a high antioxidant effect, about 1.7 times that of regular stringy natto, and about 20 times that of firm tofu.
The antioxidant properties of Hamanatto are said to have the effect of “suppressing active oxygen that has negative effects on health” and “supporting immunity.” It is said that it may have played a role in the secret to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s longevity!
You can eat it as is or use it as a seasoning.
There are many ways to enjoy Hamanatto depending on how you arrange it.
This month’s recommendation is “Yamaya Soy Sauce”, which continues to make “Hama-natto” using the traditional method🍚
The history of Yamaya soy sauce that continues for 7 generations
Yamaya Soy Sauce, which was founded in the 3rd year of the Kaei era and has a history of 174 years, manufactures and sells miso and soy sauce, including the traditional food Hamanatto.
The current president, Mr. Toshiyuki Kinpara, became the 7th generation president 27 years ago when he was 20 years old. When his father, the 6th president of the company, suddenly passed away while he was still in university, he made a big decision that he couldn’t let the traditional Yamaya soy sauce go out of business.He started his life by working as a university student in Nagoya on weekdays and helping out at the family business in Hamamatsu on weekends. Apparently he was sending it.
With the support of my family, I overcame the difficult times while balancing work and university life, and as the 7th generation, I am keeping the name of Yamaya Soy Sauce.
We asked the seventh generation owner about the origin of Hamanatto.
Hamanatto is said to have originated from the Chinese seasoning tochi, which was introduced to Japan with the introduction of Buddhism.
Hamanatto has a deep connection with temples, and it is said that Hamamatsu’s Daifukuji natto, Kyoto’s Ikkyuji natto, and Daitokuji natto have the same roots.
Hamanatto was also called “Salty Natto” and “Tera Natto.” During the Sengoku period, Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was in Hamamatsu Castle, was so impressed by the salted natto presented by Daifuku-ji Temple that he asked, “Have Hamana’s natto arrived yet?” There is a legend that “hamana natto” became “hamanatto” because he repeatedly urged his servants to eat it.
In that sense, it may be said that it was Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu who named it “hamanatto”.
Yamaya soy sauce special manufacturing method
Yamaya Soy Sauce follows traditional manufacturing methods and produces Hamanatto completely without additives.
Natural brewing is done without any process such as “raising the temperature of the warehouse to shorten the ripening period” or “drying the beans with industrial fans, etc.”, and allowing the beans to be brewed slowly at the temperature of the four seasons, and the power of the sun. We continue to make it using a method that takes time and effort and is packed with ancient wisdom, such as a method that borrows the flavor from the ingredients.
Aged for 15 months. Hamanatto with Yamaya soy sauce
Hamanatto is made by attaching koji mold to steamed large black-eyed soybeans from Hokkaido, mixing it with salt water, placing it in a container, and placing a weight of about 100 kg on top of the container to ripen it.
After aging for 15 months while adding salt water during the ripening process, the beans are removed from the container, carefully loosened one by one, and dried in the sun.
Finally, mix in the shredded ginger to complete the Hamanatto.
amazing! Antioxidant effect of Hamanatto
Hamanatto, which was also a favorite of Tokugawa Ieyasu, has high antioxidant properties and is attracting attention as a healthy food.
According to the 7th generation Mr. Kinpara, the antioxidant effect of the soy isoflavones contained in Hamanatto is about 1.7 times that of stringy natto and about 20 times that of firm tofu.
Hamanatto supports the immune system with its high antioxidant properties and the power of fermentation, making it a great food for your health!
Hamanatto is full of umami ingredients and is a versatile seasoning!
Hamanatto contains a lot of glutamic acid, which is an umami ingredient.
The glutamic acid content of Hamanatto is said to be 3 to 4 times that of regular miso, so using Hamanatto as a secret ingredient or accent to your dishes will expand the range of flavors.
“Kizami Hamanatto”, which is made by finely chopping Hamanatto, is a product that is secretly used in professional settings such as Michelin-starred restaurants. It is used as an additive-free seasoning that increases the flavor.
The 7th generation wife has published recipes using Hamanatto on the following website. Please use it as a reference!
<Yamaya Soy Sauce Kitchen>
Where can I buy Yamaya Soy Sauce's Hamanatto?
You can purchase it at the following locations in Hamamatsu City.
・JR Hamamatsu Station Kiosk Gift Station
・Hamamatsu Festival Hall (Nakatajima, Hamamatsu City) Souvenir shop
・Hamamatsu Castle Hamamatsu Brand Corner
・Okura Act City Hotel Hamamatsu
・Shintomei Hamamatsu SA upper and lower
・Entetsu Department Store B1F
・Denku shunsai market
・Yataro Outlet Store Factory Direct Sales Store
・Cafe Oliva
・Lupine field
You can also purchase it at Yamaya Soy Sauce’s official online store. Please check it out ☆
Yamaya soy sauce official mail order
Recommended for the 7th generation! "Fermented umami oil" using kizamihama natto
“Fermented Umami Oil” received the highest award out of 1019 items at the Food Action Nippon Awards 2020.
This is a popular product that has a reputation for being able to create a professional taste just by “sprinkling”. As an additive-free seasoning that does not contain any additives, it has received support from a wide range of people.
A message to our readers from the 7th generation Mr. Toshiyuki Kinpara
We have been producing Hamamatsu’s secret specialty, Hamanatto, following in the footsteps of our father who passed away suddenly.
With the determination to “make Hamanatto, which was passed down to me from my father, even a little bit, until the day I retire,” I have been trying various things for 27 years.
In order to break away from the product image of “Hama-Natto, which is popular among the elderly and enthusiasts,” we pursued its potential as a seasoning. As a result, I have appeared on many media outlets and co-starred with celebrities who I have only seen on TV.
I also received a very grateful comment from a professional chef who said, “I used Cookpad recipes as a reference when developing the menu” that my wife, who is an amateur cook, made.
Although I may say so myself, the deliciousness of using Hamanatto as a seasoning was beyond my imagination.
This time we introduced Yamaya soy sauce. Why not try incorporating additive-free Hamanatto into your daily diet, which is manufactured using traditional manufacturing methods?
[Yamaya Soy Sauce Official Website]
[Yamaya Soy Sauce Instagram]
