When it comes to Sagae souvenirs, there are “cherries”, “Shimikari-senbei”, “soba”, “sake”, and “Tsuyahime rice”, but did you know that Sagae is also famous for delicious natto?

In addition to local specialties, Sagae has many other delicious things to eat, such as soba noodles and ramen.
Sagae City is full of delicious things. Among the local specialties and foods of Sagae,
Something that is surprisingly little known, even among Sagae locals, is how delicious natto is.
This time, I’d like to introduce Miyabi Natto, representing the natto of Sagae.

Be sure to try this little-known Sagae delicacy at least once!

Miyabi Natto▶Store Information

“Nattoan Miyabi” is a direct sales store for Sagae Natto Food’s brand product “Miyabi Natto”
You might be thinking, “I buy natto at the supermarket?” But no, it’s not the three-pack you often see at supermarkets.

As the name suggests, it’s a store where you can buy natto made using special manufacturing methods.

You can purchase medium to large grain brand natto, which is not often found in supermarkets.

They offer natto made from locally produced hiden beans and rare natto with mixed grains. It’s great to eat at home and also makes a perfect souvenir, so please give it a try.

Miyabi Natto▶Purchased Products

The packaging is triangular so the photos look like rice balls, but they are all packaging for natto.
The shop staff’s recommendation is the large-grain “Yamagata-produced secret bean natto (large grain),” which is made with secret beans from Kawanishi.
Yamagata is also famous for its “Dadacha-mame” and “Hiden-mame,” so they are perfect souvenirs from Yamagata.

▲ [Shichifuku mixed grain natto from Yamagata Prefecture] 200 yen including tax
Natto made with six grains (black rice, germinated brown rice, pressed barley, millet, amaranth, and sorghum). It has a mellow taste. The auspicious name “So that seven good fortunes come” is also good.

▲ [Yamagata Prefecture (large grain)] 200 yen including tax
The shop’s most recommended product is the “Hiden-mame” that are unique to Yamagata. They are large and satisfying to eat. They are very sticky and have a slight aroma unique to the hiden-mame, making them delicious.

▲ [Yamagata Prefecture Black Soybean Natto (large grain)] 220 yen including tax
These are also large beans. They have a strong flavor and aroma, and the sweetness of the black beans is very delicious.
All of the natto I purchased this time were reasonably priced at 200 to 220 yen (tax included), so it was fun to be able to compare the different types of natto.

▲ [Hand-rolled natto 11 pieces] 540 yen including tax [Hand-rolled natto ume flavor 11 pieces] 540 yen including tax

This is a natto snack. It’s cute because it’s wrapped in nori seaweed. The package is decorated with red string, so it would make a great souvenir.
The crispy texture and gradually sticky texture make you realize, “Ah, it’s natto!” The smell of the nori matches well and is delicious.
The green part of the natto in the close-up is apparently “green onion”. An incredibly detailed reproduction!
It’s just a sweet, but it makes me want rice.
Each bag contains 11 pieces, so you can hand them out at work along with the ume flavored ones.

Miyabi Natto▶【Sound and Charcoal Fire】

Miyabi Natto uses Yamagata Prefecture soybeans and focuses on “beans”, “water”, “handmade process”, “charcoal fire”, and “sound”. We’ll highlight their unique methods involving “sound” and “charcoal fire”.

▶ [Natto Bacteria Cultivation Method: “Sound”]

Hold on, what is “sound”? It is said that Mozart’s music contains “1/f fluctuations.”
Learning that playing music for animals and plants improves their quality, they thought, “beans and natto bacteria are living things too!” So, they play Mozart to soothe them and promote natto bacteria fermentation in a stress-free environment. How elegant!
The shop owner told us, “We play the music not for the entire process, but during the fermentation process. There’s no scientific basis for it, though!”

▶ [Natto Bacteria Cultivation Method: “Charcoal Fire”]

Temperature control is crucial for fermenting natto. They use the far-infrared rays from charcoal fire to slowly ferment the natto for 18 to 20 hours. That’s why it becomes elegant natto with plump, spa-treated-like skin.

Miyabi Natto ▶ Inside the store

▲ Natto snacks! There’s a wide variety of rice crackers. The store staff recommended some for tasting, and they were quite addictive.
The snack “Temaki Natto” is wrapped in nori seaweed and looks cute. It even comes in plum flavor!

A recipe unique to Sagae: Omizuke Natto

▲ Hiden-mame × Omizuke
How to make: Mix natto or Omizuke “pickled vegetables” as desired and eat.

Omizuke is a local winter dish from inland Yamagata that combines the slightly spicy flavor of green vegetables with the refreshing smell of shiso berries. Depending on the household, it may contain green vegetables, radish, carrots, and shiso berries. I prefer the version with ginger that my mother-in-law makes.
When people in inland Yamagata think of afternoon tea, they don’t think of sweets but pickles, hodgepodge dishes, and fruit.
hodgepodge dishes are generally sweet, so they are perfect as snacks to go with tea. Omizuke is a popular snack to go with tea in the winter. It can also be served on top of ochazuke or tofu.

“Omizuke” is sold at Cherry Land, direct from the farm, and in supermarkets.

Of course, locals often receive it from their parents’ homes.

▲ Black Soybean Natto × Mountain Wasabi
The black beans were served with mountain wasabi, which gave the black beans a rich flavor with a refreshing aftertaste.
Other flavors that go well with it include red chili pepper miso and yuzu pepper.

Other flavors that go well with it include red chili pepper miso and yuzu pepper. Sagae Smart IC Area Information

It is a 6-minute drive from Miyabi Natto. It is right next to the Sagae Smart IC. This direct-from-farm center is packed with customers every day as soon as it opens.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that it’s a weekday. If you go in the evening, most items will be sold out, so I recommend going in the morning.
Fresh vegetables, seasonal fruits, Tsuyahime rice, and Miyabi natto are also available for purchase.

They also sell bento boxes and side dishes, and when you enter, you’ll be drawn in by the smell of grilled meat. In winter, their delicious roasted sweet potatoes are so popular that they sell out. My family buys three and eats them well chilled.
You can also enjoy Cherry Land’s bold gelato at the Sakuranbo Yuyukan, located next to the Agriland Farmers’ Center. Even if you’re a Yamagata resident, you should definitely check it out.

Also on the farm center grounds is the Farmhouse Restaurant Shikitei, where you can enjoy Sagae soba noodles and rice cakes.
There are parks, one of the largest skate parks in the Tohoku region, and a dog run, so the area around Sagae Smart IC is quite fulfilling.

Convenience store within 1.5km radius. Drugstores and Nishimatsuya are also nearby, making it convenient.

Miyabi Natto ▶ Summary

Miyabi Natto, grown with love and care.
This is a Sagae delicacy that even frequent visitors might not know about, and newcomers should definitely check out. Enjoy your time in Sagae and be sure to buy some as a souvenir to try!