Japanese Food Culture 2- Edamame

Edamame

In recent years, edamame has become a universal word, and is a representative of Japanese food culture.

 

There are three main types of edamame: white hairy beans (green beans), brown beans, and black beans, and there are more than 400 varieties of edamame.

In some regions, many "brand-name edamame" are grown, bearing the name of the region, etc.

 

When edamame ripen, they become soybeans.

Soybeans are the raw material for soy milk and tofu.

Edamame is eaten in the green state of soybeans before they are ripe, but many people do not know this and are surprised to hear it.

 

↓boiled edamame

How to Boil Edamame for Better Taste

Wash edamame well to remove hair.

Put them in a pot and sprinkle them with salt.

Without rinsing off the salt, add water and cover the pot.

*The standard amount of water is about 1 cup in a large pot.

Once the water comes to a boil, shake the pot repeatedly to prevent burning.

Add water when water is gone.

It is more like "steaming" than "boiling". Check the firmness by hand. Crush with fingers to check firmness. Repeat until the desired firmness is reached.

Try cooking edamame in this way for a sweeter and tastier flavor.

 

Tamba black soybean edamame

The picture below shows a typical brand edamame! It is a Tamba black bean edamame.

Kuro-edamame are "black soybeans" harvested before they are fully ripe, which are found in Osechi cuisine (Traditional Japanese cuisine which are eaten on New Year’s day) and other dishes.

↑ When mature, the surface of the pods takes on the distinctive black color of black soybeans.

↑ From inside the pods, "black soybean edamame," which seem to contain a lot of polyphenols, emerged.

 

Edamame is available frozen year-round

Edamame in Japan is in season from spring to summer. It depends on the growing region and variety.

Out of season, when people want to eat edamame, they usually buy frozen food.

However, people in areas with high edamame production (where the specialty is edamame) seem to resist buying frozen edamame. The reason is that they are not willing to buy frozen foods because they know the taste of delicious local edamame.

Those who live in an edamame-growing area are lucky, but the rest of us tend to buy and eat frozen edamame throughout the year. The good thing about frozen food is that you can eat the same quality edamame all year round, and since frozen food is already boiled, you can simply defrost it naturally or heat it up in the microwave without any hassle.

 

↑ Seven&I Premium Frozen Salted Edamame

 

↑ Seven&I Premium Frozen Salted Boiled Green Tea Beans

 

↑Salted Boiled Edamame

 

↑ FamilyMart Famimaru Salted Edamame 

 

↑  AEON TOPVALU

 

↑ FamilyMart Famimaru Boiled Edamame

Not frozen. Can be eaten as is.

 

Edamame Cooking

1. Stir-fry - Boiled edamame are taken out of the pod and put into stir-fry.

 

2、Tempura・・・Boiled edamame can be made into tempura (i.e., kakiage (deep fried) together with other vegetables) for a beautiful colorful dish.

 

3, Edamame arranged snacks - Cut off both ends of boiled edamame with scissors and place in a hot frying pan. Add chopped olives and anchovies to it and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Since my hands get dirty, I eat with chopsticks.

 

4、Edamame omelet - Boiled edamame is added to the omelet (beautifully colorful when added to a bento lunch box).

 

5、Edamame soup・・・・Boiled edamame are made into a paste using a blender. Add water, milk or soy milk, and consommé soup stock to make edamame soup. Mix in cream, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.

*For more information on how to make edamame, please search for edamame recipes, etc.

 

 

Earlier information Nihon-i Editorial Office

緑の枝豆は野菜成熟した大豆は豆類。とても驚いた記事でした。下記にご紹介します。

 

外部サイト 独立行政法人農畜産業振興機構ホームページ「えだまめ」

https://vegetable.alic.go.jp/yasaijoho/yasai/0809_yasai1.html

Green edamame are vegetables. Mature soybeans are legumes. This was a very surprising article. Please see below.

 

External website: Agriculture and Livestock Industries Promotion Organization of Japan website "Edamame

https://vegetable.alic.go.jp/yasaijoho/yasai/0809_yasai1.html