Soybeans as Human Food – Unprocessed and Simply Processed

Unprocessed and simply processed soybeans used as human food and the pattern of soybean consumption and production are reviewed country by country. Traditional soybean foods used have been limited to the Orient where soybean foods are eaten by everyone--young and old, rich and poor. The kinds of soybean foods people in the Orient like, the ways to prepare such foods, and the manner of consuming them are deeply imbedded in their culture. Preparation and use of these traditional soybean foods are described. In recent years, various approaches have been taken to incorporate soybeans into native diets of countries that do not traditionally use soybeans as foods. These studies indicate that soy flour may be the most versatile product. A village process for making soy flour is discussed. Although soybeans are grown in small areas throughout the world, soybean production is concentrated in three countries: The United States, Brazil, and China. World food consumption of soybeans, however, is low; most of the soybeans produced are used for oil and feeds. Even in China and Japan, which consume significant amounts of soybean foods, the percentage of soybeans used as food is only 15 and 22 percent, respectively. In the past years, the United States has distributed cereal-soy blends to be used as food to many countries.