Other names: Eda
Mame, edible soybean, vegetable soybean, green soybean, green
vegetable soybean, Mao Dou (Mao Dow, Chinese ), Zhi Dou (Chinese ), Dau Nanh Rau (Vietnamese).
Edamame is Japanese name, meaning 'beans on a branch'.
It is a green vegetable soybean and rich in protein (up to 40%) and
also high in vitamins A & B, calcium, iron, and dietary fiber.
Vegetable soybean was known in China for nutritional and medicinal
value and was consumed as a vegetable as early as second century
(BCE ). It has become one of our favorite healthy and nutritious
food and its production has grown rapidly worldwide.
Edamame immature soybeans are harvested at the large
green bean stage and the pods can then be sold fresh or frozen. The
pods are boiled with salt or without salt for a few minutes and then
shelled by hand at the table and consumed as a snack. They are
sweeter and less beany tasting than grain soybeans.
Edamame is good both for garden and commercial
production. It is suitable for a wide range of soil types, however,
much moisture in the soil affects the seed sprouting. Seeds may
sprout at 10°C. The optimum temperatures for germination and growing
is 20-25°C for most cultivars. The growing season is shorter than
dry soybean. Good cultivars should have high ratio of 2- and 3-seed
pods.
