Soya bean

In the Far East soya beans have been regarded as the ‘meat of the earth’ for thousands of years. They are amazingly versatile, yielding many food products, and are unique among beans in containing the eight essential amino acids, thus providing complete protein. The beans themselves can be yellow or black, and are available whole, dried and fermented. They can be cooked in stews, but are probably best known for their by-products, which include soy sauce, tofu (bean curd), miso (fermented bean paste), tempeh (fermented bean cake), soya grits, soya flakes, dried bean curd sheets and textured vegetable protein (TVP).