RAW MATERIAL FOR 'NATTO' AND PREPARATION OF 'NATTO' USING THE SAME

摘要

PURPOSE:To prepare NATTO (fermented soybean) using a NATTO raw material produced by denaturation treatment without steaming or boiling the soybean. CONSTITUTION:Soybean or defatted soybean is charged into a stream of superheated steam of 4-8kg/cm<2> gauge pressure and 190-280 deg.C superheated in a dispersed and floating state for <=20sec and quickly released to a gaseous atmosphere having lower pressure to effect the expansion and denaturation of the soybean and obtain the objective raw material for NATTO. The NATTO raw material is sprinkled with water and fermented with Bacillus natto to obtain NATTO. A dried NATTO raw material having excellent storability can be used in the present process. The NATTO prepared by this process has improved deliciousness and digestibility and good palatability comparable to that of conventional NATTO prepared by steaming. The fermentation time can be shortened.