Edamame: the trendy healthy snack that comes from Japan

Edamame is increasingly popular in Europe. But these small green pods have a long history and are a fundamental part of the culinary culture of countries like Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan, where they are consumed as a snack or as a garnish, in soups and salads, hot or cold.

In their pod, the edamame have a certain resemblance to snow peas, but they are thicker and fatter. When peeled, small broad beans look like oval peas.

What is edamame?

Edamame are immature soybean pods, which are harvested 75-100 days after planting, just before they turn yellow. These pods contain two to three soybeans, which are also green.

The term edamame comes from the Japanese: «eda» meaning stem, and «mame» meaning bean. Therefore, edamame translates as «stem bean» or «bean on a branch.» The name probably comes from the fact that broad beans are sometimes sold in whole bunches in Asian markets.

In China, edamame are called «maodou,» which means something like «hairy bean,» because the pods are covered in fine fuzz. In English the term “vegetable soybean” is often used.

Its flavor is slightly sweet, nutty and with a more subtle aroma than ripe soy. Its consistency is also softer than mature soybeans.

How do you eat edamame?

In Japan, they are traditionally served with the pod as a snack or side dish in bars and restaurants. They are sprinkled with a little sea salt or chili, then The pod is bitten and the beans are sucked, leaving the pod, which is not eaten.

Unripe soybeans are also sold already peeled for use in salads, soups and the like.

Can you eat edamame raw?

Soybeans contain some indigestible substances, for this reason, like other legumes, they should not be consumed raw. The most common thing is to buy them frozen and previously blanched. You just have to defrost them and they are ready to eat.

It is highly recommended to purchase organically produced edamame to avoid exposure to pesticide residues.

Whether organic or conventional, edamame is more expensive than mature soy beans for several reasons:

They are not grown on a large scale like soybeans, but as vegetables in rows with enough space for the pods to grow. The seeds are not the same as those used for conventional soy cultivation.
With the edamame The same quality criteria apply as with vegetables, the beans must look good, be as large as possible and have the best aroma.
Since edamame is harvested immature, it is important to schedule the ideal harvest time. If the beans are harvested a week or two late, their quality may have already deteriorated

How do you prepare edamame?

When preparing the delicious broad beans, it depends on whether you bought them frozen, canned or fresh:

Fresh, raw edamame should be cooked before consumption.
Frozen and canned pods are already blanched and They just need to be thawed or heated.

If you wish to serve the beans with the pods (fresh or frozen)

First wash them well with hot water and then cut off the woody stems if there are any remains.
Boil a pot of water and add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Let them cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Then drain off the water, let the pods cool and serve in a bowl, sprinkled with a little sea salt.
You can also steam it for 10 minutes.
The sea salt ensures a crunchy bite and emphasizes the flavor of the beans. Cooking in the shell ensures that the aroma is preserved in the beans.
Follow the same procedure for frozen edamame with pods, but Cook the beans only for 3 minutes or steam them for 5 minutes.

If you want to prepare the beans without pods

It is best to buy frozen or canned edamame that has already been peeled. Otherwise, you would have to cook the edamame with the skin first and then cut the pods lengthwise with a knife to get to the beans.
Peeling raw edamame is very tedious and time-consuming, as the beans are difficult to remove from the shell with your hands.
Canned edamame is ready to eat and is therefore suitable for example for salad. You can use frozen edamame in hot dishes, because the beans will thaw by cooking them over low heat.

Nutritional properties of edamame

green soybeans It is a good source of vegetable protein, with 11.5 g per 100 g. Its protein content is comparable to the protein content of other legumes (also per 100 g):

100 g of cooked edamame provides only 8.6 g of carbohydrates. If you follow a low-carb diet and only want to eat 100 to 150 g of carbohydrates per day, for example, one serving (50 to 100 g shelled) is adequate.

Edamame has a low glycemic index of 15 and a glycemic load of just 1. Therefore, they do not have a major impact on blood sugar and insulin levels and are therefore also suitable for diabetics and all other people who pay attention to balanced blood sugar.

Is edamame good for weight loss?

100 g of broad beans provide only 140 kcal, So they don’t make you fat and are good for losing weight because they fill you up quickly thanks to the fiber. They can be a good complement to a varied and healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables.

On the other hand, edamame contains isoflavones, plant substances that have an effect similar to estrogen, although it is much weaker than that produced by the hormone.

Can edamame be genetically modified?

The short answer is no. In Europe, genetically modified soybeans are used almost exclusively for animal feed. and not for human consumption. If GMO, the genetically modified ingredients must be declared in the ingredients. In the case of edamame the labeling would be «Ingredients: Edamame (genetically modified)». In the case of fresh unpackaged products sold in bulk, a clearly visible sign must indicate their genetic engineering origin.