Vegetable Soy Bean ( Glycine Max (L.) Merrill) from Production to Processing

Abstract

For centuries soy bean has been an appreciated legume in most Asian countries. There are two types of cropped soy bean, the vegetable type and the grain type. The difference between them is defined by the time of harvest. Vegetable soy bean is harvested between R6 and R7 growth stages, when the pod is still green and full at about 80% of the total weight. It is a nutritious plant with an appreciable content of protein, minerals and vitamins. Although it is best known in East Asia, vegetable soy bean is being increasingly incorporated in diets in North American countries and there is growing interest in some African countries. Many breeding programmes are being conducted to develop plants that mature early and produce larger and greener pods with good appearance and taste. Cooking usually consists of plunging the fresh pods into boiling salted/seasoned water and simmering them until tender. Different forcing and processing methods are employed to maintain production and availability throughout the year. Vegetable soy bean is transported either attached to or detached from the plant. The price of imported fresh vegetable soy bean has usually been low because the crop suffers in transport and there are few facilities for proper storage.