Japanese Food Tips

Soybeans (daizu) and soy products have long been commonly used in Japanese food. Soybeans contain one of the highest protein contents among all edible plants. When they are young, they are green and called edamame. After they mature, they are called daizu and are beige. Tofu is the most famous soybean product. It is made from soy milk made from soybeans and bittern (nigari). Fried tofu, made from tofu, is, of course, a soybean product. Natto, which is fermented soybeans, is one of the visually recognizable products in which soybeans are used. Soybean sprouts (moyashi) are made from soybeans and are called "daizumoyashi," and the bean part remains at the tip of the stem. Soy sauce, the most used seasoning in Japanese food, is also a soybean product, and among miso products, red miso (aka miso) is made from soybeans. Soybean flour (kinako), often used in Japanese confectionery, is also made by roasting, peeling, and grinding soybeans. Thus, soybeans are one of the ingredients deeply involved in Japanese food.