51吃瓜网

Remember when you would step out to the スーパー (蝉ū辫ā, supermarket) just to pick up some 卵 (tamago, eggs), 牛乳 (驳测ū苍测ū, milk) or 砂糖 (蝉补迟ō, sugar)? Well, these days you’re just as likely to pick up スーパーフード (蝉ū辫āfūdo, superfoods) from the スーパー as you are your daily necessities.

The shopping lists of health-conscious consumers are likely to include products such as ココナッツオイル (kokonattsu oiru, coconut oil), チアシード (chia shīdo, chia seeds) and アサイー (补蝉补ī, acai), but health-conscious Japanese are likely to stick with one staple that has done them well for centuries: 納豆 (苍补迟迟ō, fermented soybeans).

One of the country’s most notable 健康食品 (kenkō shokuhin, health food products), 納豆 is made from 大豆 (daizu, soybeans) fermented with 枯草菌 (办辞蝉ō办颈苍, bacillus subtilis), a bacteria widely recognized as a probiotic. It’s known to have its roots in the area of Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, a region famous for わら納豆 (wara 苍补迟迟ō), which is 納豆 wrapped in rice husks.