About Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Glycine max (L.) Merr., commonly known as soybean, grows in distinct morphological stages as it develops from a seed into a fully mature plant, similar to most plant species. Like many other legumes, soybeans can fix atmospheric nitrogen, thanks to symbiotic Rhizobia bacteria that live with the plant. Soybeans are a globally important agricultural crop, grown as a major source of protein and vegetable oil. It prefers fertile, well-drained soils, and requires a warm temperate climate with adequate rainfall or irrigation. Most of the world's soybeans are grown in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. Soybeans are usually planted in straight rows using modern farm machinery, and pests and weeds must be controlled to keep the crop healthy. Once the plants reach maturity, soybeans are harvested with mechanized harvesting machines. They are used to produce a wide range of food and industrial products, including tofu, vegetable oils, and livestock feed, in addition to helping improve soil fertility through their nitrogen-fixing ability. Among legumes, soybeans are valued for their high protein content, which ranges from 38 to 45 percent, as well as their approximately 20 percent oil content. Soybeans are the most valuable agricultural export of the United States. Roughly 85 percent of the world's soybean crop is processed into soybean meal and soybean oil, while the remaining portion is processed through other methods or eaten whole. Soybeans can be broadly classified as either vegetable (garden) types or field (oil) types. Vegetable-type soybeans cook more easily, have a mild nutty flavor and better texture, are larger in size, have higher protein content, and are lower in oil than field-type soybeans. Tofu, soy milk, and soy sauce are among the most common edible commodities made from soybeans. Producers prefer higher-protein cultivars bred from vegetable soybeans that were originally brought to the United States in the late 1930s. Garden soybean cultivars are generally not suitable for mechanical combine harvesting, because their pods tend to shatter once they reach maturity. In addition to being used for livestock feed, soybean products are widely consumed by humans. Common human-use soybean products include soy sauce, soy milk, tofu, soy meal, soy flour, textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy curls, tempeh, soy lecithin, and soybean oil. Soybeans can also be eaten with minimal processing; one example is the Japanese dish edamame, in which immature soybeans are boiled whole in their pods and served with salt. In China, Japan, Vietnam, and Korea, soybeans and soybean products are a standard part of traditional diets. Tofu is thought to have originated in China, along with soy sauce and several varieties of soybean paste used as seasonings. Japanese foods made from soybeans include miso, nattō, kinako, and edamame, as well as tofu-based products such as atsuage and aburaage. In China, whole dried soybeans are sold in supermarkets and used to prepare many different dishes, usually after rehydration by soaking in water; they are added to soup or used as a savory ingredient. In Korean cuisine, soybean sprouts are used in a wide variety of dishes, and soybeans are the base ingredient for doenjang, cheonggukjang, and ganjang. In Vietnam, soybeans are used to make soybean paste (tương) in the northern part of the country, with the most popular products being tương Bần, tương Nam Đàn, and tương Cự Đà, which are used as a garnish for phở and gỏi cuốn. Vietnamese soybean products also include tofu (đậu hũ, đậu phụ or tàu hũ), soy sauce (nước tương), soy milk (nước đậu in the North, sữa đậu nành in the South), and đậu hũ nước đường, a sweet tofu soup.
