Value of Natto

I started eating some Natto recently, it being odor-free definitely helps one to acquire the taste.
According to this article, the nutritional value of natto is immense. And I have to admit, the gooey texture makes it quite fun to eat... (hehee.. guess I am the playing with your food type after all). And another article with a nice sticky picture!

Wikipedia info here, Natto info from the Soy Info Center, and article excerpts below...

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A unique food called natto, which is made by fermenting soy beans and has been eaten widely in Japan since the Edo period (1603-1868), is enjoying unprecedented popularity as more and more people turn to it for its health-boosting properties. It is likely to be a record year for natto sales in 2002. Smell Puts Some People Off Natto is produced by adding the bacillus of the same name to steamed soybeans for fermentation. It boasts a variety of health benefits, including helping fatigued people regain their vigor and preventing heart disease and high blood pressure. Some people dislike natto, however, due to its extremely sticky texture and strong odor. It was originally produced in the eastern part of Japan, so it is more popular there than in western regions. While it has a poor reputation among some foreigners in Japan, others acquire a taste for it. The smell, which is what puts off most natto detractors - both foreign and Japanese - may no longer be an issue, though, as aroma-free varieties of natto have been developed and are one of the factors behind the boom in sales. When eating natto, the beans are first stirred vigorously with chopsticks. Many people also add mustard, soy sauce, and green onions, and the mixture is often eaten after it is poured over rice. Natto retains the nutrients that are naturally present in soybeans, and the natto bacillus used in production makes the food even healthier by providing further nutrients. Health Benefits Natto is even more effective than yogurt at increasing the amount of health-promoting bifidus bacilli in the large intestine. It also contains linoleic acid, which may help prevent cancer; arginine, which has been shown to boost stamina; vitamin B2, which helps the body fight fatigue; and vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that may help reduce the effects of aging. And in 1988 it was confirmed that natto contains an enzyme called nattokinase that reduces blood clots. Such discoveries have caused the popularity of natto to soar. Notwithstanding its nutritional value, though, the pungency and stickiness of natto have acted as a brake on consumption. But despite the widespread impression in Japan that non-Japanese cannot eat natto, a TV station reported in a special feature on the food that a natural-foods store in New York has begun selling natto. The store notes that while the first customers were Japanese families living in the area, recently all sorts of people are buying natto. Americans purchasing natto at the store were heard to say such things as "My menstrual cramps have almost disappeared," and "I used to get angry easily, but now I don't even get irritated."
The different ways that some Americans eat natto, though, would probably surprise many Japanese. The program showed an American woman adding honey to the natto, stirring in fried sesame seeds, and spreading the mixture onto crackers.

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--------- in reply to pekko's comment:
hey, I've learned to like my steak rare, tried Fermented HorseMare milk in Mongolia, and one day will try the fried insects in Thailand, "stinky tofu" in China, "pig internals" in Canton, and "Durian" in Taiwan... I think I am an adventurous eater...

Wiki quote: "Nattō is often considered an acquired taste and the perceived flavor of nattō can differ greatly between people; some find it tastes very strong and cheesy and may use it in small amounts to flavor rice or noodles, while others find it tastes "bland and unremarkable", requiring the addition of flavoring condiments such as mustard and soy sauce. Many non-Japanese find the taste very unpleasant, while others relish it as a delicacy. Some manufacturers produce an odorless or low-odor nattō. The split opinion about its appearance and taste might be compared to Vegemite in Australia and New Zealand, blue cheese in France, lutefisk in Norway and Sweden, Mämmi in Finland and Marmite in the UK. Even in Japan, nattō is more popular in some areas than in others. Nattō is known to be popular in the eastern Kantō region (Tokyo), but less popular in Kansai (Osaka, Kobe). About 236,000 tons of nattō are consumed in Japan each year."