Ingredient: Soya bean (Soybean)
Category: Pulses (oilseeds)
Season: All
The soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia.
It is an annual plant that may vary in growth, habit, and height. It may grow prostrate, not growing higher than 20 cm (7.8 inches), or even up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in height.
The pods, stems, and leaves are covered with fine brown or gray pubescence.
The leaves are trifoliolate, having 3 leaflets per leaf, and the leaflets are 6–15 cm (2–6 inches) long and 2–7 cm (1–3 inches) broad. The leaves fall before the seeds are mature. The small, inconspicuous, self-fertile flowers are borne in the axil of the leaf and are white, pink or purple.
The fruit is a hairy pod that grows in clusters of 3–5, with each pod 3–8 cm (1–3 inches) long and usually containing 2–4 (rarely more) seeds 5–11 mm in diameter.
Like some other crops of long domestication, the relationship of the modern soybean to wild-growing species can no longer be traced with any degree of certainty. It is a cultural variety (a cultigen) with a very large number of cultivars. However, it is known that the progenitor of the modern soybean was a vine-like plant that grew prone on the ground.
The genus Glycine Wild. is divided into two subgenera(species), Glycine and Soja. The subgenus Soja(Moench) includes the cultivated Soybean, G. max(L.)Merrill, and the wild soybean, G. soja Sieb.& Zucc.
Both species are annual.
The soybean grows only under cultivation while G. soja grows wild in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. Glycine soja is the wild ancestor of the soybean: the wild progenitor.
At present, the subgenus Glycine consists of at least 16 wild perennial species: for example, Glycine canescens, and G. tomentella Hayata found in Australia and Papua New Guinea
Soya Beans (soybeans) are classed as oilseeds, whereas Beans are classed as pulses. It is a versatile bean, having a diverse range of uses.
The English word soy is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of (shōyu), the Japanese word for soy sauce; soya comes from the Dutch adaptation of the same word.
Soya Beans (soybeans) are an important global crop, providing oil and protein.
The bulk of the crop is solvent-extracted for vegetable oil and then defatted soya (soy) meal is used for animal feed.
A small proportion of the crop is consumed directly by humans. Soybean products do appear in a large variety of processed foods.
Soya Beans (soybeans) are native to east Asia, but 45 percent of the world’s soybean area, and 55 percent of production, is in the United States.
Other leading producers are Brazil, Australia, Argentina, China, and India.
Uses:
Soya Beans (soybeans) can be broadly classified as "vegetable" (garden) or field (oil) types.
Vegetable types cook more easily, have a mild nutty flavour, better texture, are larger in size, higher in protein, and lower in oil than field types.
Tofu and soy milk producers prefer the higher protein cultivars bred from vegetable Soya Beans (soybeans) originally brought to the United States in the late 1930s.
The "garden" cultivars are generally not suitable for mechanical combine harvesting because they have a tendency for the pods to shatter on reaching maturity.
Among the legumes, the soya bean (soybean), also classed as an oilseed, is pre-eminent for its high (38–45%) protein content as well as its high (20%) oil content.
Soya Beans (soybeans) are the leading agricultural export in the United States.
The bulk of the soybean crop is grown for oil production, with the high-protein defatted and "toasted" soy meal used as livestock feed. A smaller percentage of Soya Beans (Soya Beans (soybeans)) are used directly for human consumption.
Immature Soya Beans (soybeans) may be boiled whole in their green pod and served with salt, under the Japanese name edamame
Soya Beans (soybeans) prepared this way are a popular local snack in Hawaii, and are becoming increasingly popular in the continental United States.
Because of the proclaimed health benefits of soy, edamame has been featured as an ideal snack alternative in fitness and healthy living magazines such as Real Simple.
Edamame is sold in the frozen vegetable section at some larger grocery stores, and as ready-to-eat snack food in many Asian delis.
In China, Japan, and Korea the bean and products made from the bean are a popular part of the diet.
The Chinese invented tofu, and also made use of several varieties of soybean paste as seasonings
Japanese foods made from soya include: miso, natto, and edamame.
In Korean cuisine, soybean sprouts, called kongnamul (hangul) are also used in a variety of dishes such as doenjang, cheonggukjang and ganjang.
The beans can be processed in a variety of ways.
Common forms of soya (or soy) include soya meal, soya flour, soya milk, tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP, which is made into a wide variety of vegetarian foods, some of them intended to imitate meat), tempeh, soy lecithin and soybean oil.
Soya Beans (soybeans) are also the primary ingredient involved in the production of soy sauce (or shoyu).
Soya (Soy) processors:
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is among the largest processors of Soya Beans (soybeans) and soya (soy) products. ADM along with Dow Chemical Company, DuPont and Monsanto support the industry trade associations United Soybean Board (USB) and Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA).
These trade associations have increased the consumption of soy products dramatically in recent years.
Soya bean meal (Soybean meal)
Soya bean meal (Soybean meal) is an ingredient found in some dog food and cattle feeding. According to AAFCO is the product obtained by grinding the flakes which remain after removal of most of the oil from Soya Beans (Soya Beans (soybeans)) by a solvent or mechanical extraction process.
Soya bean (Soybean meal) meal is a poor quality protein filler with almost 50% of the protein extracted. It boosts the protein content of low quality pet food and has a biologic value of less than 50% of chicken meal.
It's more suited for feed in aquaculture: beef, dairy cattle, horses, poultry, sheep, and swine.
Soya Flour (Soy Flour)
Soya flour refers to defatted Soya Beans (soybeans) where special care was taken during de-olventising (not toasted) in order to minimize de-naturation of the protein to retain a high Nitrogen Solubility Index (NSI), for uses such as extruder texturising (TVP).
It is the starting material for production of soya concentrate (soy concentrate) and soya protein isolates (soy protein isolate).
Defatted soya (soy) flour is obtained from solvent extracted flakes, and contains less than 1% oil.
Full-fat soya (soy) flour is made from un-extracted, de-hulled beans, and contains about 18% to 20% oil. Due to its high oil content a specialized Alpine Fine Impact Mill must be used for grinding rather than the more common hammer mill.
Low-fat soya (soy) flour is made by adding back some oil to defatted soya (soy) flour. The lipid content varies according to specifications, usually between 4.5% and 9%.
High-fat soya (soy) flour can also be produced by adding back soybean oil to defatted flour at the level of 15%.
Lecithinated soya (soy) flour is made by adding soybean lecithin to defatted, low-fat or high-fat soya (soy) flours to increase their dispersibility and impart emulsifying properties. The lecithin content varies up to 15%.
Infant formula
Infant formulas based on soya (soy) are used by lactose-intolerant babies and for babies that are allergic to cow milk proteins. The formulas are sold in powdered, ready-to-feed, or concentrated liquid forms.
Some reviews express the opinion: That more research is needed to answer the question of what effect the phytoestrogens contained in soy formula may have on infants, but did not find any adverse effects.
Diverse studies conclude there are no adverse effects in human growth, development, or reproduction as a result of the consumption of soy-based infant formula.
One of these studies, published at the Journal of Nutrition, concludes that:
"There is no clinical concerns with respect to nutritional adequacy, sexual development, neurobehavioral development, immune development, or thyroid disease. SBIFs provide complete nutrition that adequately supports normal infant growth and development. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, has accepted SBIFs as safe for use as the sole source of nutrition"
Nut butter
Soya Beans (soybeans) have been made into a spread called soynut butter, similar to peanut butter but with Soya Beans (soybeans) instead. It is less fattening than peanut butter.
Substitute for existing products
Soya Beans (soybeans) are the primary ingredient in many processed foods, including dairy product substitutes (e.g., margarine, soya (soy) ice cream, soya (soy)milk, soya (soy) yogurt, soya (soy) cheese and soya (soy) cream cheese), as well as Crisco, soya bean, soybean) oil, tofu, veggie burgers, soya (soy) crisps, among others.
Soya Beans (soybeans) are processed to produce a texture and appearance similar to other foods (e.g., butter, ice cream, milk, yoghurt (yogurt), cheese, lard, olive oil, ground beef, potato chips, etc.) and are readily available in most supermarkets.
Soya (soy)milk does not contain significant amounts of calcium, since the high calcium content of Soya Beans (soybeans) is bound to the insoluble constituents and remains in the pulp. Many manufacturers of soya (soy) milk now sell calcium-enriched products as well.
Other products
Soya Beans(soybeans) are also used in industrial products including oils, soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, solvents, clothing, and bio-diesel. Soya Beans (soybeans) are also used as fermenting stock to make a brand of vodka.
Henry Ford promoted the soybean, helping to develop uses for it both in food and in industrial products, even demonstrating auto body panels made of soy-based plastics.
Ford's interest led to two bushels of Soya Beans (soybeans) being used in each Ford car as well as products like the first commercial soy milk, ice cream and all-vegetable non-dairy whipped topping.
The Ford development of so-called soy-based plastics was based on the addition of soya (soy) bean flour and wood flour to phenolformaldehyde plastics.
Today, very high quality textile fibers are made commercially from "okara" (soy pulp), a by-product of tofu production.
Nutrition
Soya Beans (soybeans) are generally considered to be a source of complete protein, without any need for Protein combining. although this is contested by some sources.
A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesize them. For this reason, soya (soy) is a good source of protein, amongst many others, for many vegetarians and vegans or for people who cannot afford meat.
The gold standard for measuring protein quality, since 1990, is the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) and by this criterion soy protein is the nutritional equivalent of meat and eggs for human growth and health. Soybean protein isolate has a Biological Value of 74, whole Soya Beans (soybeans) 96, soybean milk 91, and eggs 97.
Soya (soy) protein is similar to that of other legume seeds, but has the highest yield per square meter of growing area, and is the least expensive source of dietary protein.
|