Edamame

Also known asImmature Soybeans · Glycine max · 毛豆

Name: Edamame — young, green soybeans harvested while still soft and sweet, sold in the pod or shelled, fresh or frozen. A separate page under Pods, Beans and Peas covers them as a vegetable.

Description

The soybean (Glycine max) was domesticated in China around 3,000 years ago or more, and spread across East and Southeast Asia, then to the West in the 18th to 20th centuries. It is now one of the world's biggest crops, with Brazil, the United States and Argentina the largest producers, and most of it is used for animal feed and oil.

Edamame, meaning “stem beans” in Japanese, have been eaten in Japan since at least the 17th century as a salty snack with beer, and are now served in Japanese restaurants worldwide. As the immature form of the soybean, they are sweeter and less starchy than the mature bean, and are one of the few vegetables that provide a complete plant protein.

Main nutrition value

Edamame is an excellent source of plant protein with all essential amino acids, plus fibre, folate, vitamin K, iron and magnesium.

How best to be consumed

Edamame is boiled or steamed, then eaten from the pod or shelled.

1. Boil or steam the pods for 4 to 5 minutes, and sprinkle with sea salt.
2. Squeeze the beans from the pods with your teeth, and discard the pods.
3. Add shelled beans to salads, rice bowls, stir-fries, soups and dips.
4. Mash into a hummus-style spread, or blend with garlic and lemon.
5. Buy frozen edamame, which is picked and frozen at its peak.

Overconsumption could cause…

Edamame is healthy in food amounts, with a few points to know.

1. Soy allergy, which can be serious in some people, particularly children, so anyone allergic must avoid soy and check labels.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates in soybeans, particularly if you are not used to eating them.
3. Possible effects on thyroid medicine absorption, so people taking levothyroxine should leave several hours between it and soy foods, and soy can matter for people with low iodine intake or an underactive thyroid.
4. A lot of salt if the pods are heavily salted.

GroupsPods, Beans and PeasSoy FoodsLegume familyHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in folateRich in vitamin KJapanese

Related foodsTamariSoy SauceMisoNattoFermented TofuBroad Beans / Fava Beans

Wikipedia — Edamame, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame