Soy beans originate from China and have been a key food ingredient in North-East Asia for over 1000 years.

As fresh green beans, they are lightly boiled and eaten as the snack “eda-mame”.  Dried soy beans are the key ingredient in tofu and fermented foods such as miso, soy sauce and natto. It was a major source of protein in Japan for many centuries when eating meat was forbidden by Buddhism.

Today soy is a key ingredient of a wide range of foods – including modern meat and dairy alternatives.