Soybeans

Basic info

Soybeans are versatile flowering plants and a very widespread crop. It is known for its protein content and it is the prime ingredient in tofu.

As a legume, Soybeans are classified in the family Fabaceae, along with species like the peanuts, chickpeas, and lentils. Therefore, they are flowering plants and angiosperms, and in addition have the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere because of its symbiotic relationship with a species of soil bacteria. 

Soybeans were domesticated in East Asia as early as 7000 BC.

The word "soy" comes from a Japanese word for soy sauce. Glycine comes from the greek word for sweet, as some members of this family had sweet-tasting roots.

Importance to Family

Soybeans have many uses in chinese and other Asian cultures. It is an important source of protein, usually in the form of tofu, which is a type of bean curd.

For my father, chinese tofu was usually made with crushed soybeans, which were mixed with gypsum or brine to help it coagulate. It then can be cooked and incorporated in a variety of dishes and paired very well with many veggies like peas or cabbage. 

Importance as a crop

Soybeans are the most valuable agricultural export from the United States and is valued for its high protein and oil content. It can be processed into soybean meal which sees wide use as a livestock feed. Therefore, much of the meat (especially chicken) we enjoy had its fulfilling protein originate from the soybean crop.

Many ways of engineering the soybean crop focus on making cultivars that are able to withstand disease.