- Also called:
- soja bean or soya bean
- Related Topics:
- miso
- edamame
- soy flour
- soybean milk
- soybean oil
soybean
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What is a soybean plant?
The soybean (Glycine max) is a significant annual legume in the pea family (Fabaceae) and the world's most economically important bean. It provides vegetable protein for millions and serves as an ingredient in hundreds of chemical products.
Soybean plants are erect and branching, reaching over 2 meters (6.5 feet) in height. They have self-fertilizing flowers that are white or purple. The seeds can be yellow, green, brown, black, or bicolored, though commercial varieties typically have brown or tan seeds, with one to four seeds per pod. Soybean thrives in warm, fertile, well-drained, sandy loam and is planted after the last frost.
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Where are soybeans commonly grown?
Soybeans are widely cultivated across the globe. While the soybean plant was first domesticated in central China around 7000 BCE, it is now grown in wider areas. The United States, specifically the South and Midwest, saw the introduction of soybeans in 1804, which became particularly important in the mid-20th century. Brazil and Argentina are also major producers of soybeans. Soybeans may be cultivated in most types of soil, but they thrive in warm, fertile, well-drained, sandy loam.
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What does a soybean plant look like?
The soybean plant is an erect, branching plant that can grow to over 2 meters (6.5 feet) in height. Its self-fertilizing flowers are white or purple. Soybean seeds can come in colors of yellow, green, brown, black, or bicolored, though the most common commercial types have brown or tan seeds. Each pod contains between one and four seeds.
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How are soybeans harvested from the plant?
Soybeans are harvested mechanically using a combine after the leaves have fallen off the plant and the moisture content of the seed has dropped to 13 percent, which allows for safe storage. Combines cut and thresh the soybeans, separating the grain from the chaff and straw. The soybean plant can grow to over 2 meters (6.5 feet) in height, with seeds that can be yellow, green, brown, black, or bicolored, though most commercial varieties have brown or tan seeds.
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What products are made from soybeans?
Soybeans are a versatile legume with a wide array of applications. They are a rich source of protein and oil, making them a valuable food source for both humans and animals.
Soybeans are processed into various food products, including soy milk, tofu, soy sauce, tempeh, miso, and fermented bean paste. They can also be sprouted and used in salads or roasted as a snack. Young soybeans, known as edamame, are often steamed or boiled.
Soybean oil is used to make margarine and shortening. Soybean meal serves as a high-protein meat substitute in various food products. Industrially, soybean oil is used in paints, adhesives, fertilizers, and other products. Soy flour is used in bakery operations to stiffen doughs and maintain crumb softness. Soy products are also used in confectionery, biscuits, macaroni, infant foods, ice cream, sausages, sauces, and even nonfood items like paint, paper, and textiles.
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Why are soybeans important for agriculture and nutrition?
Soybeans are globally significant as a source of inexpensive protein and nutrients, especially in developing countries. The soybean is one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein for both humans and animals.
Soybeans are unique because they contain no starch, making them a good protein source for diabetics. They also contain essential amino acids. Soybeans can be processed into various products, including soy milk, tofu, and soy sauce. Soybean oil is used in products such as paints, adhesives, and fertilizers. As a legume, soybeans enrich soil with nitrogen through nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
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soybean, (Glycine max), annual legume of the pea family (Fabaceae) and its edible seed. The soybean is economically the most important bean in the world, providing vegetable protein for millions of people and ingredients for hundreds of chemical products.
Domestication and history
The origins of the soybean plant are obscure, but many botanists believe it was first domesticated in central China as early as 7000 bce. An ancient crop, the soybean has been used in China, Japan, and Korea for thousands of years as a food and a component of medicines. Soybeans were introduced into the United States in 1804 and became particularly important in the South and Midwest in the mid-20th century. Brazil and Argentina are also major producers.
Physical description and cultivation
The soybean is an erect branching plant and can reach more than 2 metres (6.5 feet) in height. The self-fertilizing flowers are white or a shade of purple. Seeds can be yellow, green, brown, black, or bicoloured, though most commercial varieties have brown or tan seeds, with one to four seeds per pod.
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In the United States the majority of soybean crops are genetically modified for resistance to the herbicide glyphosate. The soybean may be cultivated in most types of soil, but it thrives in warm, fertile, well-drained, sandy loam. The crop is planted after all danger of frost is past. Soybeans are usually harvested mechanically, after the leaves have fallen off the plant and the moisture content of the seed has dropped to 13 percent, permitting safe storage. Like other legumes, the plant adds nitrogen to the soil by means of nitrogen-fixing bacteria and historically has been an important soil-enriching crop, though this practice is not common in most industrial agriculture systems.
Uses
The soybean is one of the richest and cheapest sources of protein and is a staple in the diets of people and animals in numerous parts of the world. The seed contains 17 percent oil and 63 percent meal, 50 percent of which is protein. Because soybeans contain no starch, they are a good source of protein for diabetics.
In East Asia and elsewhere, the bean is extensively consumed in the forms of soy milk, a whitish liquid suspension, and tofu, a curd somewhat resembling cottage cheese. Soy sauce, a salty brown liquid, is produced from crushed soybeans and wheat that undergo yeast fermentation in salt water for six months to a year or more; it is a ubiquitous ingredient in Asian cooking. Other fermented soy foods include tempeh, miso, and fermented bean paste.
Soybeans are also sprouted for use as a salad ingredient or as a vegetable and may be eaten roasted as a snack food. Young soybeans, known as edamame, are commonly steamed or boiled and eaten directly from the pod.
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Modern research has led to a remarkable variety of uses for the soybean. Its oil can be processed into margarine, shortening, and vegetarian and vegan cheeses. Soybean meal serves as a high-protein meat substitute in many food products, including baby foods and vegetarian foods, and can be imparted with a meatlike texture for increasing the cooked yield of ground meats. Industrially, the oil is used as an ingredient in paints, adhesives, fertilizers, sizing for cloth, linoleum backing, and fire-extinguisher fluids, among other products.