Like other beans, lentils, lupins and peas, soy is a legume. In many countries, it forms an important basis for human nutrition and as animal feed. As a plant-based source of protein, soybeans add variety to the diet and are finding their way onto more and more people’s tables. Not only can soy be prepared in a variety of ways, it is also particularly nutritious and full of healthy vitamins, minerals and proteins. But where does soy actually come from and how is the plant used today?
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Origin of the soy plant
The legume, which originates from Asia, was first cultivated between 800 and 700 BC. Soy sauce was first produced in China hundreds of years ago and later brought to Japan, and tofu has also played an important role in the Chinese diet for a long time.
European travelers finally brought the soybean to Europe at the beginning of the 18th century, where it was initially only admired as an exotic spice plant in botanical gardens. It was not until the end of the 19th century that soybeans also became popular in Europe as an imported product, and at this time they were mainly in demand as soybean oil. The oil was used both in industry as a lubricant for machines and as an additive for cosmetics and soaps.
However, soy as a whole did not play a major role in human nutrition in Europe at the time. During the Second World War, soy was seen as an important alternative source of protein and fat for the food supply and was cultivated on a larger scale in the German Reich for the first time. The expansion of livestock farming from the 1950s onwards also increased the demand for soybean meal as animal feed. After the superpower USA initially became the world’s largest soy producer, other countries such as Brazil and now China gradually became important soy exporters.
Where is soy grown?
In recent decades, the area under soy cultivation in Austria has grown considerably. For some years now, the popular bean has also been cultivated by many smaller Austrian companies that specialize in the production of tofu or soy sauces, for example. Around 40% of the soy harvest in Austria is used for food and 60% is used as animal feed in livestock farming. In the EU, on the other hand, 90% of soybeans are used as feed for fattening poultry, pigs, dairy cows and laying hens and only 6% of soy is processed into food. At a European level, the most soy is grown in Italy, while globally the USA, Argentina and Brazil remain the largest soy producers and exporters.
Soy - versatile and rich in protein
Soy is either fermented or not fermented during production. Fermenting soy makes it possible to produce easily digestible products such as tempeh, yogurt alternatives, natto, soy sauces and miso pastes.
However, non-fermented products such as edamame – i.e. cooked, unripe and green soybeans – are also increasingly available in supermarkets. Soy drink is also not produced by fermentation, but by crushing the beans with water. Tofu is a processed soy drink that is pressed into a solid block using a coagulant. Depending on the preparation, the end result is silken, natural or smoked tofu.
De-fatted soy flour, which is a by-product of soybean oil production, can then be used to produce soy granules and soy shreds. Globally, soybean oil is an important vegetable oil that is used as animal feed and for the chemical industry. Soybeans grown in Austria are strictly tested for genetic engineering. Incidentally, the term “soy milk” is still banned in the EU.
