Soybean

Soybeans can be eaten for themselves, as edamame, lightly boiled immature (green) beans, usually served in their inedible pod and then shelled at the table. Raw soybeans are, practically speaking, inedible. They contain lectins and protease inhibitors, which interfere with digestion. Boiling knocks these gastronomic thugs out of contention.

After heating, soybeans come into their own as food. They have the highest protein content of any vegetable (35 percent), and their amino acid balance is very close to that of meat, making them an extremely efficient and valuable nutritional source for vegetarians. Of Asian origin, soybeans are now the leading agricultural product of the U. S., where they are mainly exploited for their abundant oil and as animal feed.