Soybean
8 Photos
Wikipedia Article
The soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (commonly misspelled "Soyabean") (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation. The plant is sometimes referred to as greater bean (China - 大豆 dàdòu) or edamame (Japan), though the latter is more commonly used in English when referring to a specific dish. In Vietnam, the plant is called đậu tương or đậu nành.
The English word "soy" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of shōyu (醤油, しょうゆ), the Japanese word for soya sauce; "soya" comes from the Dutch adaptation of the same word.
Fat-free(defatted) soybean meal is a primary, relatively low-cost, source of protein for animal feeds or rations; soy vegetable oil is another valuable product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean products such as TVP (textured vegetable protein), for example, are important ingredients in many meat and dairy analogues; and very safe in combination with ground beef,etc.
Traditional nonfermented food uses of soybeans include soymilk, and from the latter Tofu and tofu skin or yuba. Fermented foods include shoyu or soy sauce, miso, natto, tempeh, Ketjap among others. The oil is used in many industrial applications. The main producers of soy are the United States (32%), Brazil (28%), Argentina (21%), China (7%) and India (4%). The beans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, alpha-Linolenic acid, and the isoflavones genistein and daidzein.
Encyclopedia related
Terms of Service · Privacy