Edamame

Edamame(枝豆,/ˌɛdəˈmɑːmeɪ/)is an East Asian dish prepared with immaturesoybeansin their pods, which are boiled or steamed, and may be served with salt or other condiments. The dish has become popular across the world because it is rich in vitamins, dietary fiber, andisoflavones.When the beans are outside the pod, the termmukimameis also sometimes used in Japanese.Edamame are a common side dish inJapanese cuisineand as an appetizer to alcoholic beverages such as beer orshōchū. As an ingredient, edamame are found in both sweet and savory dishes such astakikomi gohan,tempura, andzunda-mochi.
InJapanese, the nameedamameis commonly used to refer to the dish. It literally means "stem beans" (枝eda= "branch" or "stem" + 豆mame= "bean"), because the beans were often sold while still attached to the stem.
InChinese,maodouis used commonly to refer to the dish, which literally means "furpeas" (毛máo= "fur" + 豆dòu= "bean").
Soybeans were first cultivated in China some 7000 years ago, while the earliest documented reference to the term "edamame" dates from the year 1275, when the Japanese monkNichirenwrote a note thanking a parishioner for the gift of "edamame" he had left at the temple.In 1406, during theMing dynastyin China, the leaves of the soybeans were eaten and during outbreaks of famine; it was recommended that citizens eat the beans whole or use them ground up and added to flour. Centuries later, in China, in 1620, they are referred to again, but asmaodou, which translates to the term "hairy bean". They are found in the records of the Runan vegetable gardens, where they are stated as having a medicinal purpose, as well as being a snack food.Edamame appeared inhaikaiverse in Japanese in theEdo period(1603–1868), with one example as early as 1638.
They were first recognized in the United States in 1855, when a farmer commented on the difficulties he had shelling them after harvest. In March 1923, the immature soybean is first referred to in text in the United States in the book "The Soybean" by C. V. Piper and Joseph W. Morse. In this book, they are first pictured and shown as being eaten out of open shell pods. The first nutritional facts about them are published and some recipes are included, as they were a new type of vegetable to the public.The earliest recorded usage in English of the wordedamameis in 1951 in the journalFolklore Studies.
Writing in theNew York Timesin 1999, food writerFlorence Fabricantreported that frozen edamame beans were starting to be sold in supermarkets and speciality food retailers in New York and New Jersey.Edamameappeared as a new term in theOxford English Dictionaryin 2003 and in theMerriam-Websterdictionary in 2008.
In 2008, the first soybeans grown in Europe were sold in grocery stores as edamame and eaten as an alternative source of protein.
Edamame is typically harvested by hand to avoid damaging the crop's stems and leaves.Green soybean pods are picked before they fully ripen, typically 35 to 40 days after the crop first flowers.Soybeans harvested at this stage are sweeter because they contain moresucrosethan soybeans picked later in the growing season.Other factors contributing to edamame's flavor include freeamino acidssuch asglutamic acid,aspartic acid, andalanine. Often these unbound amino acids decrease as the pods fully expand and ripen.
Pods may be boiled in water, steamed, or microwaved. The ends of the pod are sometimes cut before boiling or steaming. The most common preparations use salt for taste, either dissolved in the boiling water before introducing the soybean pods or added after cooking.
Edamame is a popular side dish at Japaneseizakayarestaurants with local varieties being in demand, depending on the season.Salt and garlic are typical condiments for edamame. In Japan, a coarse salt wet withbrineis  preferred on beans eaten directly from the pod.
Edamame purchased fresh is preferably eaten the same day, with flavordegradationbeing noticeable in as few as 10 hours after harvest.However, fresh edamame will stay edible for three days when stored in the refrigerator. Damaged pods brown more rapidly however, mainly due to theenzymepolyphenol oxidase.If stored fresh, the pods should be kepthumidto prevent discoloration andwilting. This can be accomplished by wrapping the pods in plastic or another material which traps moisture.
Freezing fresh edamame is another option for maintaining good quality over a few months.Fresh edamame should beblanchedfirst before being frozen.
Edamame can come in two forms: pods or beans. Edamame beans are easy to eat and can be cooked just like any other type of beans. The edamame pods require using the teeth or fingers to slide the edamame beans into the mouth, after which the pods (or shells) are discarded.
TheUnited States Department of Agriculturestates that edamame beans are a "soybean that can be eaten fresh and are best known as a snack with a nutritional punch".Frozen, prepared edamame beans are 73% water, 12%protein, 9%carbohydrates, and 5%fat. A 100-gram reference serving of edamame provides 507 kilojoules (121 kilocalories) offood energy, and rich amounts (20% or more theDaily Value, DV) ofprotein,dietary fiber, andmicronutrients, particularlyfolate(78% DV),manganese(49% DV), andvitamin K(26% DV) (table). The fat content in edamame supplies 361 mg ofomega-3 fatty acidsand 1794 mg ofomega-6 fatty acids.