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Buying Natto Starter(natto-kin) in Tokyo?
I always bring a bunch of natto packs back to the midwest US wher… Ok, I know you can get those lovely 3 pack styrofoam containers of natto at the local store for < 120 yen so why make your own natto?
I always bring a bunch of natto packs back to the midwest US where it's hard to purchase it and when it's available, it's frozen, often dried out and never has the same "neba neba" consistency you can get here.
So.... wondering if anyone can recommend a store in Tokyo that might sell natto starter stores? Maybe a store that specializes in fermentation?
Thanks in advance!
yeah the 3-pack is cheap but making your own is a whole different level of control over the texture and flavor. i've seen natto-kin at tokyu hands in the shinjuku store, usually in the cooking ingredients section near the miso and koji stuff. also check out tenmaya in kyoto if you're ever out that way, they have a good selection of fermentation starters online too but in-store might be easier for you to browse. for a dedicated fermentation spot, there's a place called kawashima in kappabashi that stocks it near the koji rice, but it's a bit tucked away
try the miso section of larger department store basements like isetan in shinjuku or takashimaya in nihonbashi, they sometimes carry koji products and i've seen natto starter near the homemade miso kits. also looft in kichijoji has fermentation supplies and might stock it, they're a bit quirky but worth a look
tbh the easiest way is to grab it at looft in jiyugaoka, they have a whole fermentation section with natto-kin from a brand called miyatake that works really well. i've also seen it at the natural food store near nakameguro station, it's like a tiny shop on the second floor above the fruit stand. if you're near kichijoji, check out the basement of atre, there's a specialty grocery that stocks it year round for about 380 yen
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.