Kitchen Garden Journal

Edamame represents the coming together of two of our favorite things: vegetables and salty snacks. I'm not sure I remember the first time I tried edamame in a Japanese restaurant, but I do remember that it was a revelation. It was like noshing on peanuts, but green and even healthy-seeming.

Edamame are soybeans. Millions of acres in this country are devoted to the cultivation of the soya bean, and this massive harvest is processed into everything from hog feed to Fakin' Bacon. But edamame are a little different. They were bred by Japanese farmers over many centuries to be extremely tender in their green state, designed to be eaten fresh with minimal cooking.

Just boil or steam them in their pods for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and toss with coarse salt. Next, open a cold, crisp beer, and dive in. They're fun to snap open or squeeze out with your teeth; a steaming treat, nutty and beany and sweet and salty and delicious.

Edamame can also be pre-shelled and added to stir-fries or fried rice. The Whole Foods salad bar features an inspired salad of shelled edamame, hijiki seaweed and shredded carrots in a sesame-soy dressing. 

Comment (0)