Not sure what the fuss is.
In either direction.
I finally bought some Natto from the Asian megamart.
It came frozen in little snack-size styrofoam tubs, three
to the pack.
Inside the tub was a small packet of sweetened soy sauce, a
teeny packet of hot yellow mustard, a slip of plastic wrap,
and about three tablespoons of small brown beans (looked
like whole lentils) with the requisite film of stringy goo.
I kind of liked the smell, considering how vile many
people describe the whole experience. It had an aroma a
bit like a low-end chocolate/peanut-butter combination.
I wish it'd tasted that good.
I tried it cold and straight, and it tasted just bitter
and beany. I added the mustard and the soy sauce, and
all I could taste then was mustard and soy sauce.
The stringy goo was more annoyance than flavor component.
It wasn't utterly vile, and it wasn't a taste treat I'd
have loved as a child.
So that's all the effort I'm going to put into Natto for
my lifetime.
--Blair
"Now I desperately want some
Reese's Pieces in emulsified
maple syrup. With or without
mustard and soy sauce."