Natto

Natto features fermented soybeans with a slimy, stringy texture and pungent ammonia-funk aroma that Japanese eat for breakfast, but a 2019 survey by the Japan Natto Association found that 78% of non-Japanese tasters cannot bring themselves to take a second bite—a rejection rate 20% higher than that of #7 Marmite. The key data point: a single serving (50g) contains 14 mcg of vitamin K2 (175% of the daily value) and 8 g of protein, but the sticky polyglutamate fibers that stretch over a foot when stirred create a mouthfeel compared to “eating a spider web soaked in gym socks.” Natto's link to lower cardiovascular disease rates in Japan is well-documented, yet its polarizing nature keeps it strictly in the love-or-hate camp.