Edamame vs. Soybeans: What's the Difference?

in Stories Vegetarian by Linda Berlakovich — January 25, 2011 at 1:06 am | 0 comments

By Linda Berlakovich
AmesEats Flavors Writer

Soybeans, edamame, that stuff that grows in Iowa, it’s all the same, right?  Not exactly.  Though edamame are soybeans, they are different than most of the soybeans we think of that are grown in Iowa.

Edamame is an immature soybean that can be steamed and then eaten out of the pod.  It tastes a little bit savory, salty and has a unique flavor. It is excellent alone with a little bit of salt or added into dishes such as stir-fry or dips.  It is a vegetable, yet a half a cup serving has 9 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber and only 120 calories.  Also, the protein contains all 9 essential amino acids making it an excellent meat substitute.  It can be found in the frozen food section of grocery stores.

Some people worry about the safety of eating edamame because it contains an enzyme called soy bean trypsin inhibitor which inhibits protein digestion.  However, do not be concerned because heat denatures this protein when edamame is cooked before being frozen and then reheated by you.  Also, edamame is an immature soybean and soy bean trypsin inhibitor appears more in mature soybeans.  Though a small portion of Iowa farmers grown soybean varities well suited to edamame, most do not. In fact, before processing, some soybeans are toxic to humans so it is not a good idea to try to snatch soybeans from your neighbors farm for dinner.  Others are too hard to eat or taste bad.

So, what is done with these soybeans?  They are processed and used in hundreds of products such as pharmaceuticals, biodiesel, animal feed, lecithin products such as cosmetics or emulsifying and stabilizing food, and refined soybean oil products such as vegetable shortening and paint.  Anything from soy flour, tofu, and glycerol to everyday candy products and even some beers involves consuming soy.