🍚 Natto-Mochi (Fermented soybeans rice cake)

There are many theories about the birthplace of natto throughout Japan, and Kyoto Prefecture is said to be one of them. It is said when the monk emperor Kōgon (1313-1364), who was undergoing ascetic training at Joshoko Temple in the Keihoku district of Ukyo Ward in Kyoto City, ate boiled beans wrapped in straw wrappings donated by the villagers, which became stringier and more delicious as the days went by. In the temple's stored picture scrolls, there is a depiction of the head priest serving straw-wrapped “Natto” (fermented soybeans). Over time, this delicacy became an offering to the Kyoto Imperial Palace, leading to its name "Natto" (meaning to offer beans) according to the tradition. Therefore, at that time, the awareness that it was a precious food to be eaten on New Year's Day and other special occasions took root among the common people. Furthermore, the Keihoku area is the birthplace of the "Yamaguni-tai", a group of peasant soldiers who fought in the Boshin War (1868-1869). There is an anecdote that these soldier-farmers carried “Natto” with them when they went to battle. The name "Yamaguni Natto," which has become a local specialty in the Keihoku area, originates from this historical connection. At a time when food was scarce, "Natto", a valuable source of protein, was wrapped in a rice cake that was good for the stomach and eaten as a “Natto-Mochi”, which was also favored by peasant soldiers. "Natto-Mochi" was as big as a person's face those days and was said to have been eaten over the three days of the New Year. In addition to the Keihoku area, Hiyoshi town and Miyama town in Nantan City also have the custom of making "Natto-Mochi", and each region has its own method of making.