This vegetable, which costs only three yuan per pound, is called "meat grown in the ground"! Eat it now

Once summer arrives, the "flower-hair-in-one" from barbecue stalls becomes very popular on the dining table.

Take Beijing as an example. A portion costs no more than 10 yuan. It is delicious and tasty. It is even more cost-effective to buy fresh edamame and cook it at home. You can buy 500 grams for 3 yuan. It is so delicious to eat it with skewers and beer.

Image source: Price list of a food delivery platform in Beijing

So what are the nutritional properties of edamame, which makes people love it so much? Let's take a look today.

Why do edamame taste sweet?

Edamame, also known as green beans or vegetable soybeans, is a must-have food for many people to have a chat at a party. It is actually young soybeans, which are harvested when they are about 60% to 80% mature. If edamame is fully mature, it is the soybean we are familiar with. It is called "edamame" because the pods are covered with dense and soft hairs.

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Generally speaking, edamame matures from August to October, and now is a good time to taste edamame. During this period, the water content in edamame is relatively high, and the taste is the best.

Edamame tastes a bit sweet, which is mainly attributed to the rich sucrose and maltose in edamame. Glutamic acid and alanine can also give edamame sweetness. Edamame also contains a special bean aroma. Some studies have mentioned that the aroma in edamame is related to the content of 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline.

Edamame is very nutritious

In the Chinese Food Composition Table, edamame is classified as a fresh bean food in the vegetable category, but it also has the nutrition of bean food, and the content of anti-nutrients is lower than that of soybeans, so the nutrition absorption is relatively better. The main nutrients of edamame include protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, etc., and the content is very good.

1. Protein

Edamame is known as "plant meat" because it contains high levels of protein. The protein content of edamame is as high as 13.1 g/100 g, which is comparable to eggs. Some edamame can reach 40 g/100 g of protein, which is comparable to soybeans and nearly twice that of lean pork. In addition, the quality of edamame protein is high, and the ratio of various amino acids is close to the amino acid composition of human protein. It is a high-quality protein and has a high absorption rate in the human body.

2. Dietary Fiber

The dietary fiber content of edamame is quite good, with an insoluble dietary fiber content of up to 4 grams per 100 grams, which is higher than that of fresh peas and higher than the leafy vegetables we often eat. It is 1.8 times, 4.4 times, and 5.7 times that of celery, cabbage, and rapeseed, respectively.

Eating 2 handfuls of edamame (about 100 grams) can provide nearly 4 grams of dietary fiber, which is equivalent to the dietary fiber content of 400 grams of Chinese cabbage. The cost performance is really high. Its insoluble dietary fiber can promote gastrointestinal mechanical movement, help defecation, prevent constipation, and improve intestinal health.

Photo: 1 handful of edamame (about 50 grams of edible part)

3. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that can help us resist oxidation, prevent aging, protect the integrity of red blood cells, and is also related to the reproductive function of animals. Although vitamin E deficiency is relatively rare, its intake cannot be ignored.

Edamame is rich in vitamin E, at 2.44 mg/100 g, which is higher than most vegetables and nearly twice that of peas.

4. Calcium

The calcium content of edamame is richer than that of milk, up to 135 mg/100 g, which is 6.4 times the calcium content of peas, which is also a fresh legume vegetable. Judging from the content alone, the calcium content of edamame is indeed advantageous, 1.3 times that of milk, but the absorption rate is not as good as that of milk. After all, the oxalic acid content of edamame is not low, which will affect the absorption and utilization of calcium.

In the past, we believed that boiling can significantly reduce the oxalic acid content in food, and boiling edamame is also helpful in reducing oxalic acid content. However, some literature has mentioned that edamame is somewhat different from other vegetables in this regard. Stir-fried edamame is more effective in removing oxalic acid, with a soluble oxalic acid removal rate of more than 45% and a total oxalic acid removal rate of more than 75%; while the soluble oxalic acid removal rate of boiled edamame is 24%, and the total oxalic acid removal rate is only 4.3%.

So, we might as well try stir-fried edamame.

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5. Potassium and Magnesium

The potassium and magnesium content of edamame are quite good, up to 478 mg/100 g and 70 mg/100 g respectively. The potassium content is 1.4 times that of peas and 3.6 times that of Chinese cabbage. The magnesium content is also better than most common vegetables.

Eating 2 handfuls of edamame (about 100 grams) can meet 24% and 21.2% of the daily potassium and magnesium requirements of the general population, respectively. Adequate potassium intake in the diet has a significant antihypertensive effect on high sodium-induced hypertension. Magnesium intake is negatively correlated with hypertension. Supplementing magnesium can reduce vascular tension and vascular tone, which can help us stabilize blood pressure.

6 Zinc

The zinc content of edamame is 1.73 mg/100 g, which is 3.8 times that of peas and higher than most vegetables. Adequate zinc intake can maintain the structure of cell membranes, maintain the normal function of the immune system, and improve appetite.

7. Selenium

Edamame is rich in selenium, up to 2.48 micrograms per 100 grams, and is a good helper for selenium supplementation. Selenium is an essential trace element for the human body, involved in regulating thyroid function, metabolism, blood circulation, and maintaining normal immune function.

In addition, edamame is not fully mature and has the protection of pods, so it has not been exposed to the sun, so the vitamin C in it can be better preserved and the content is not bad. The data in the "Chinese Food Composition Table" is 27 mg/100 g, and the literature data shows that its content is 36.7 mg/100 g, which is close to oranges and nearly 3 times that of soybean sprouts.

However, edamame cannot be eaten raw and needs to be cooked before it can be eaten, which will result in the loss of some vitamin C, so don't count too much on eating it to supplement vitamin C.

It should be noted that the calorie content of edamame is not low, at 131 kcal/100 g, which is equivalent to a small bowl of rice. If you want to control your weight and lose weight, don't eat too much every day.

This keeps it fresh and you can eat it in winter

Autumn is the peak season for harvesting edamame, and we can enjoy a feast at this time. The optimum storage temperature for most beans is generally considered to be 8~10℃, but for edamame, 1℃~5℃ is the best storage temperature, and it can be stored for at least half a month.

But for those who love to eat edamame, eating edamame in just these two months is not enough. It doesn't matter, blanch the edamame, drain the water, and then freeze it. In this way, we can still eat delicious and nutritious edamame even in winter. Blanching is the most common step before freezing vegetables. It can not only achieve the effect of sterilization and enzyme inactivation, but also reduce the number of microorganisms on the surface of vegetables, prevent oxidation, soften tissues, etc.

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A study mentioned that compared with blanching edamame in boiling water, processing fresh edamame kernels at 700W for 1 minute in a microwave oven can better retain vitamin C and better protect color. If you want to blanch edamame in hot water, it is recommended to blanch fresh edamame in hot water at 92~100℃ for 80~100s, which can not only better inactivate the activity of enzymes, but also have a good taste and no beany smell.

Summarize:

Edamame is delicious and nutritious, don't miss this delicacy. If you cook edamame in cold water, generally continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes after the water boils. You can also add some oil and salt. After cooking, immediately rinse with cold water to keep the green color of the edamame as much as possible!

References

[1] Zhang Yumei, Hu Runfang, Lin Guoqiang. Research progress on quality traits of vegetable soybeans[J]. Soybean Science, 2013, 32(5): 698-702

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Cai Mengshan, Li Jiangbin, Lin Jinqiong, et al. Evaluation of protein and VC content and nutritional value in edamame, soybean and soybean sprouts [J]. Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, 2013, (14): 270-270.

[4] Xia Wei. Effects of cooking on oxalic acid in vegetables[D]. Suzhou University, 2007.

[5] Tong Yao. Analysis of flavor substances in edamame and development of leisure edamame products[D]. Nanjing Agricultural University, 2019. DOI: 10.27244/d.cnki.gnjnu.2019.002294.

[6] Cui Guijin, Liu Xiaozhan, Bian Ke, Chen Peixiao. Research progress on flatulence in beans[J]. Agricultural Machinery, 2012(21):79-82. DOI:10.16167/j.cnki.1000-9868.2012.21.021.

[7] Liang Zuanhao, Lin Huaxing, Chen Haiqiang, et al. Effect of storage temperature on the quality of fresh edamame during storage [J/OL]. Food Industry Science and Technology: 1-12 [2023-09-05]. DOI: 10.13386/j.issn1002-0306.2022120225.

[8] Jiang Yu, Cheng Xinfeng, Jiang Kaili. Effects of different blanching treatments on the quality of frozen edamame kernels[J]. Food Industry Science and Technology, 2017, 38(05): 108-113+119. DOI: 10.13386/j.issn1002-0306.2017.05.012.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert