Glossary

Natto in Japan, kinema in India, and chongkukjang in Korea, Chinese douchi, Burmese chine pepoke and Thua Nao in Thailand are all similar products made from traditionally fermenting cooked soybeans. All these processes are alkaline. The unpleasant ammonia smell, which many of these products have however, is not or only slightly present in Natto, which is not left to spontanously ferment like the other products, but in contrast, is inocculated with a selective starter culture of Bacillus subtilis. Natto is not salted and either eaten directly with rice as a main dish or as an accompaniment to drinks, or as a flavour enhancer

Find a lot of interesting information and instructions on how to make Natto here