Levan was first discovered through research on nattō, a traditional Japanese dish. Natto was known as a "superfood" which promoted health and longevity in Japan during the late 1800s. In 1881, Edmund Oscar von Lippmann first discovered "lävulan" (levan) as the remaining gum from molasses in sugar beet production. Later in 1901, Greig-Smith coined the name “levan” based on the levorotatory properties of this substance in polarized light.