Natto going global
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/backstories/2609/

Natto – a integral part of Japanese cuisine – was once only known abroad by hardcore foodies.
But Japanese food makers are creating new forms of the fermented soybeans and gaining global fans.

Food company Sonomono, based in Fukuoka Prefecture, has invented a new form of natto by
freeze-drying the fermented soybeans and turning them into powder.

The new product was originally made for domestic consumption, but three years ago Sonomono
featured it on a US online shopping site. Now exports account for 20 percent of its sales, the maker says.