Feature

The Beauty of Microbial Creation: Welcome to the Museum of Fermented Foods by Kaoru, Founder of Dress the Food

Index

  1. Natto: Unity and Dynamism

  2. Amazake: Seven Transformations of Rice

  3. Dried Bonito Flakes: Meat or Bark?

What comes to mind when you think of fermented foods? Most would say they are healthy, rich in umami, and flavorful. But what about their visual appeal? We often focus on the taste and aroma of fermented foods, yet a closer inspection reveals a stunning world of microorganisms at work.

Consider natto (fermented soybeans), amazake (sweet sake), and dried bonito flakes. Food director KAORU captures the vibrant beauty of these three familiar fermented foods through photos and captions, highlighting the dynamic world of microorganisms involved in their creation.

Welcome to the Museum of Fermented Foods, where the unique beauty and vitality of fermented foods come to life. Experience the allure that goes beyond taste and aroma, inviting you to appreciate the fascinating microbial artistry behind these culinary delights.

Natto: Unity and Dynamism

Natto, or fermented soybeans, is one of Japan’s most beloved fermented foods. Its origins are shrouded in various legends, such as the story of Hachimantaro Yoshiie (Minamoto no Yoshiie) during the late Heian period. A tale of his suggests that natto was born when stewed soybeans, carried on a horse’s back, came into contact with Bacillus subtilis natto* present in the straw of the bale. Regardless of the specific origin, natto’s creation is often attributed to a fortunate encounter with these bacteria.

Bacillus subtilis natto is a resilient bacterium, capable of surviving not only in straw but even 3,000 meters above ground. This microorganism is renowned for supporting health, particularly through the production of the enzyme nattokinase, which helps dissolve blood clots.

There are four main types of natto: itohiki (sticky) natto, hikiwari (crushed) natto, goto natto (hikiwari natto fermented with koji rice and salt), and tera natto (soybeans fermented with roasted and ground barley powder). Food director KAORU examined the three types of natto that utilize Bacillus subtilis natto, noting that the soybeans maintain a perfect distance from each other during fermentation.

*Though Bacillus subtilis natto is not recognized as a distinct species academically, it is part of the broader Bacillus subtilis group of microorganisms.

Artwork showing a close-up of natto wrapped in straw. Natto beans are visible through the slightly open straw. The background is a brilliant green.
01: “Dwell” From a sanitation perspective, modern straw natto is typically made by inserting natto produced with artificially pure-cultured Bacillus subtilis natto into the straw. However, my observation focused on a primitive method using natural Bacillus subtilis natto directly in the straw. The aroma from the straw and the living bacteria within it creates a mellow fragrance that invites you to keep inhaling its scent.
Artwork created by untying the straw used when making natto and placing it at random on a white background. The photo was taken using bright light, which has resulted in clear shadows.
02: “Untie” Straw natto is quite large, about 30 meters long, and tied at the top, bottom, and center with strings. To extract the natto, you only need to untie the middle string and push from both ends. The natto emerges in a single lump. Surprisingly, it does not cling to the straw but stands firmly on its own.
Artwork showing a natto bean suspended in the air via sticky natto strands. The sticky strands continue from the top to the bottom of the image.
03: “Dance” When kneading natto, you’ll notice how quickly its sticky threads break off. Typically, when you casually eat natto, it seems to have many threads, but in reality, these threads have a fleeting presence, disappearing almost instantly.
Artwork that looks like natto made from ground soybeans pressed and spread on a white background. The natto is made up of small bits of ground soybeans.
04: “Pull Each Other” Hikiwari natto, a type of itohiki natto, involves splitting the soybeans and removing their skins. Chopped as finely as rice, it forms a uniform mixture that pairs well with white rice. When laid out flat, the beans appear to move acrobatically, in solidarity with one another.
Goto natto shaped into a square and placed on a white plate. It is garnished with green onions on all sides. The goto natto is a random mixture of whitish and brownish bits. The brownish bits are likely beans.
05: “Unite” Why isn’t natto commonly used in onigiri (rice balls)? Goto natto, a long-standing preserved food in Yonezawa, Yamagata Prefecture, meets all the criteria to be a perfect onigiri filling. It’s not very sticky, allowing it to be scooped in chunks with a spoon. Fermented and aged with koji rice and salt, it is well-seasoned. When placed on a plate, its presence as a cohesive lump stands out.

Amazake: Seven Transformations of Rice

There are two types of amazake (sweet sake): one made with koji rice** and the other with sake kasu (lees). Koji amazake is a simple combination of rice, koji rice, and water, while sake kasu amazake is made from sake kasu, sugar, and water.

KAORU chose koji amazake, made without heating to preserve the live koji yeast, and sake kasu from Japanese sake, a key ingredient for sake kasu amazake.

The journey of rice: from rice to koji rice, and then to koji amazake; from rice to sake, and then to sake kasu amazake. Rice, the soul of the Japanese people, undergoes multiple transformations to become a naturally sweet liquid.

**Koji rice is created by propagating and fermenting Aspergillus oryzae, a koji mold, on rice. This mold has a high capacity for converting rice into sugar. Koji rice is fundamental to Japanese cuisine, used in making miso, soy sauce, and mirin.

Artwork showing a close-up of amazake in a transparent cup. The background is also white, making it difficult to see the outlines clearly, and the boundaries seem to merge together.
06: “Stagnate” From deep within the liquid, the flavor of koji rice rises, enveloping your senses. While koji rice is often used in everyday cooking, its aroma diminishes when heated. Experiencing the fragrance of unheated, living rice koji is refreshing and distinct.
Artwork showing several grains of rice koji attached to the rim of a transparent cup on its side.
07: “Decay” The rice used as the raw material can be seen in the decomposition stage. The visual of its original shape decaying imparts a sense of Japanese beauty, reflecting the natural process of transformation.
Artwork showing a square mass of light ocher-colored sake lees. Sake koji is thinly formed and also shown in layers.
08: “Settled” Opening the sake kasu reveals a rich aroma of alcohol, instantly evoking the image of an elegant Japanese dish. Once made into a sheet and folded, the sake kasu is as solid as clay, presenting a strong and cool appearance.

Dried Bonito Flakes: Meat or Bark?

The term “bushi” in katsuobushi refers to fish that has been boiled and then smoked (heated and dried) to preserve it. After multiple smoking processes, katsuobushi mold develops. Why is there no fat floating in the broth despite bonito being an animal product? The answer lies in the mold. Katsuobushi mold decomposes lipids and performs remarkable functions, such as gradually removing moisture for long-term preservation and enhancing umami and deep aroma***.

Many other types of “bushi” exist, including mackerel, tuna, and horse mackerel. The flavor and aroma of the fish vary depending on the presence or absence of bloodlines—the area between the fish’s back and belly where many blood vessels are concentrated.

***Not all dried bonito flakes are fermented foods. Those in the stage before mold attachment are called arabushi or onibushi. The bushi with mold attached is called karebushi, and those that have mold attached four times are known as honkarebushi.

Artwork showing a close-up of bonito flakes.
09: “Flutter” Dried bonito flakes without bloodlines are a beautiful light color with a sense of transparency, free of reddish-brown parts. They are shaved so thinly that they appear as if they might flutter, resembling delicate ribbons.
Artwork showing bonito flakes scattered across a white background. Each bonito flake is shown to have a slightly different color.
10: “Layered” Dried bonito flakes with bloodlines display layers of reddish-brown lines. Compared to those without bloodlines, their taste has more richness and depth, offering a full-bodied flavor profile.
Artwork showing a close-up of a soup stock made with dried tuna flakes. There is a beautiful gradation of dark yellow and light yellow hues, and fine bubbles can be seen here and there.
11: “Clear” When you make broth with dried tuna flakes, it has a more refined taste than broth made with dried bonito flakes, with less of a fishy smell. The broth has a yellowish tinge. Depending on the type of bushi, the taste, aroma, and color of the broth can vary significantly.
Artwork showing roughly 30 thickly shaved bonito flakes arranged in a square.
12: “Betray” Thickly shaved dried bonito have a stunning, meaty appearance, yet they also resemble tree bark or fossils. The exterior has a rough texture, while the interior is glossy. Each piece has a unique look, giving them an artistic quality.

01, 02, 03: Ginjo Natto Fuku Fuku (Fukuda Co., Ltd.)
04: Tokachi no Ibuki - Hikiwari (Tokiwa Shokuhin Co., Ltd.)
05: Yukiwari Natto (Yukinco Inc.)
06, 07: Myojin Amazake no Moto - Nama (Amanoya)
08: Gangi Junmai Daiginjo Yunagi - Shin Sake Kasu (Yaoshin Shuzo Co., Ltd.)
09, 11: Magurohana (Maruyo Co., Ltd.)
10: Hanamejika (Maruyo Co., Ltd.)
12: Sodabushi Atsukezuri (Maruyo Co., Ltd.)

Photo of KAORU
Food Director/Artist

KAORU

KAORU is a food director, artist, and founder of “Dress the Food.” She has worked extensively in advertising, magazines, and commercials. In 2018, she gained attention with her solo exhibition “Food On A Photograph” in New York and Tokyo. In 2019, KAORU held the exhibition “Food On A Model.” In 2022, she launched “shichimi magazine” and is currently working on Vol. 2.

Website: https://www.hanabi-inc.net/people/kaoru
shichimi magazine:　https://www.instagram.com/shichimimagazine

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