{"id":3456,"date":"2015-10-09T14:48:57","date_gmt":"2015-10-09T18:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apa.si.edu\/picklesandtea\/?p=3456"},"modified":"2015-10-09T14:55:47","modified_gmt":"2015-10-09T18:55:47","slug":"soybean-primer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apa.si.edu\/picklesandtea\/soybean-primer\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Soybeans and a Giveaway"},"content":{"rendered":"

You either love it or hate it (this article<\/a> pretty much sums it up). I\u2019m talking about soy and by association, all soy products like tofu, soy milk, etc. I, for one, love it! <\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been consuming soy (or soya) in myriad forms since I was a little girl.<\/p>\n

On many a Saturday morning, I used to accompany my mom to the neighborhood wet market. My mom had many items on her list but my goal was singular. Like a broken record I\u2019d ask, \u201cAre we done yet? Are we done yet?\u201d My favorite stall was always our last stop before heading home. When we finally got there, my mom would place one order each for fresh soy milk (\u8c46\u6f3f, dou jiang<\/em>) and sweet beancurd<\/a> (\u8c46\u8150\u82b1, doufu hua<\/em>).<\/p>\n

First, \u201cuncle\u201d (as a child I always called the stall owners \u201cuncle\u201d and \u201caunty,\u201d probably as a sign of respect) would ladle the milky white beverage into a clear plastic bag and tie it taut with a red string until it ballooned. Next, he\u2019d scoop layers of sleek, silky beancurd into a styrofoam tub. Seeing my eager face, uncle would slip me extra sugar syrup for the beancurd and hand everything to me in a pink plastic bag. I\u2019d grip the handles in anticipation of my delicious breakfast, feeling the still-warm soy milk in my clutch.<\/p>\n

\"My<\/a>

My homemade beancurd was not as firm as I remember but it was still tasty drizzled with honey.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fresh soy milk was one of the edibles I missed from my childhood. Storebought soy milk in cans or tetrapaks are poor facsimiles, often containing thickeners, additives and preservatives. The good stuff contains only soybeans and water.<\/p>\n

Soy milk is simple to make though tedious. I never thought to make it at home until I received a soy milk maker for my birthday a few years ago. In three simple steps–measure out soybeans, add filtered water, press button\u2014I was tasting the soy milk of years past, soybean-y, naturally sweet and imbued with the insouciance of childhood.<\/p>\n

Before I started making my own soy milk, I never gave much thought to soybeans. One soybean is the same as another right? Not true.<\/p>\n

\"Soybeans<\/a>

Soybeans come in varying shades of cream to beige, and shapes from oblong to round, and not all soybeans are made equal.<\/p><\/div>\n

Andrea Nguyen<\/a>, author of Asian Tofu<\/a>,<\/em> among other cookbooks, told me, \u201cThere are thousands of types of soybeans, bred for different uses. Some are specifically for animal feed. Others for human consumption.\u201d  <\/p>\n

Soybean cultivars are also bred specifically for various soy products. Nguyen selects soybeans carefully for soy milk and tofu. \u201cIt’s like different breeds of cows yielding different flavors and richness in dairy products.\u201d Her favorite soybean for DIY soy milk and tofu is the Laura Soybean<\/a> and comes from an Iowa farm. \u201cHandsome beans. Amazing milk and curds,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

I also talked to Tara Miller and Tessa Mohr, two sisters who co-own Signature Soy LLC<\/a> based in North Dakota.<\/p>\n

Signature Soy<\/a> has many corporate customers all over the world producing a variety of soy products. \u201cOur family’s company (relies) on feedback from the large manufacturing companies that buy and use our soybeans,\u201d says Miller who is also the marketing manager. \u201cFor example, when a manufacturer is making soymilk, tofu or natto, they let us know what they need more of in each variety. It could be higher protein, a different shape of the soybean, a different moisture content, etc.  Our family then works to breed varieties specific to the customer’s requested\/desired specifications.”  <\/p>\n

Most tofu producers prefer a larger bean with higher protein, whereas for soy milk, a medium to large bean with medium protein is ideal. \u201cBut they must be round and uniform in shape,\u201d explains Mohr who is also the company expert on soybean research and genetics.<\/p>\n

For natto, Mohr says, an extra small-sized bean is preferred because you can still see the bean in the final product and \u201cthey like the look of a small bean.\u201d  Cookbook author Nguyen supports this, having bought some tiny soybeans from Japan to make natto.<\/p>\n

For tempeh, which is similar to natto, small beans are still preferred but they are usually larger than for natto.<\/p>\n

Soybeans often have either a black or yellow hilum (the eye or scar on the seed coat) and it’s a characteristic that you can breed for. Mohr says most of her customers prefer a yellow hilum. A black hilum may discolor the final product, marring the color of, say, miso or soy milk.<\/p>\n

I asked Miller to clarify something I\u2019d read in my research, that a black hilum is a sign of a GMO soybean and yellow means non-GMO. That’s not always the case, says Miller. \u201cThere are non-GMO soybeans that have black hilum and GMO that have yellow hilum. That said, you can’t distinguish whether a soybean is non-GMO or GMO by appearance. Testing would need to be done.\u201d All of Signature Soy\u2019s soybeans are tested to ensure there are no traces of GMO.<\/p>\n

On a different note, I wanted to know how green edamame turns into the whitish soybean.<\/p>\n

Soybeans are planted around May. Mohr explained that edamame and soybeans are from the same plant but edamame is picked from the immature soy plant in July and August before it is fully mature. \u201cIt\u2019s like picking a tomato that\u2019s still green.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"edamame\"<\/a>

Green edamame is harvested from a still-ripening soy plant.<\/p><\/div>\n

The white soybeans used for making tofu etc., on the other hand, are fully matured and dried out and ready for harvest in September and October. This is when the “fresh crop” becomes available. \u201cOur soybeans keep for a year and our customers enjoy making soymilk, tofu, natto, sprouts, tempeh, etc. all year round,\u201d says Miller. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to make your own soy products at home, Mohr has these tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n