If You have Not Tried Edamame Yet, Please Do!

Edamame is slowly becoming a household name. If you wish to find edamame, check the freezer section. If you purchase edamame in the pod, you must remove the seeds. Don't worry, the seeds are very easy to extract from the pod. You can squeese out these beans by placing pressure behind the bean with your thumb and forefinger. Edamame is an immature soy bean.  This is also referred to as a green soybean.

There are a ton of receipies you can find to make edamame with.  It is commonly used in Japanese cooking and also vegetarian fair. This bean is an excellent source of protein. Edamame is a complete protein.  This means that it contains all of the essential amino acids that our body's requires. The fact that this is a complete protein makes it a favorate food for vegetarians.

Nutritionally edamame is a great source of iron. Once cup of edamame contains 17 g of protein, 20% of iron, and 16% of vitamin C. This bean, like other beans, are high in dietary fiber and is low on the glycemic index.

When raw edamame is actually poisonous.  Don't worry though it is very simple to cook and eat safely. There are any number of ways to cook edamame. The simplest way to cook these beans is to steam or boil them. Boiling Edamame in very salty water is a great way to add some extra flavor.

Remember to avoid edamame if you are allergic or sensitive to soy. This bean is completely safe for those people who suffer from gluten allergies though. There is no gluten in edamame since it is a legume. If you don't want to have to worry about cooking edamame, it can sometimes be found dry roasted in the snack sections of the store.  These are great out of hand or sprinkled over salads.

If you have never tried edamame I would highly recommend giving it a try. Many bigger markets are starting to carry froze bags of in shell edamame. Health food stores may also carry different options when it comes to edamame and soy prodcuts, so check them out too.