(Glycine max)
One of the world’s oldest crops, soy beans have been cultivated for over 13,000 years and are believed to have originated in the Manchurian region of Eastern Asia. It was not until c.1600 that a German scholar first carried the soy bean to Europe. It took another 250 years before soy made its way across the Atlantic to North America c.1850. Soy beans contain all of the amino acids, including those not produced in the human body. They are also packed with isoflavones, which have been medically linked to numerous health benefits. Soy beans convert sugar to starch, similar to sweet corn, so to preserve fresh-picked flavour it is best to blanch immediately and refrigerate. When cooled they are called Edamame, and can be salted and popped from their pod, and eaten in the same manner as peanuts.