Soybeans originate from China. Soybeans with four other plants (rice, wheat, barley, and millet) were named sacred by Emperor Shen-Neng of China in 2853 BC.
It was between 11th and 17th century BC that soybean plants were cultivated into a food crop in eastern China.
Soybeans spread to other countries such as Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal and India via the establishment of sea and land routes in the first century AC to the Age of Discovery.
In the early 1800’s, the first soybean arrived in America aboard a ship. But it was not until 1879 that farmers in America started planting soybeans. Soybean plants flourished thanks to the hot and humid summer weather conditions in the United States.
During World War II, the US government raised soybean popularity. They asked farmers to grow more soybeans to help feed wartime America and its allies. During this time, the US production of the miracle crop tripled.
And while the soybean has been consumed for centuries in many countries, it was not until the 1960s that it began to emerge as a common food source.
Now the market for soybeans has gone global. The soybean processing industry has arisen throughout Asia and has spread to the Middle East, North Africa and throughout America. Without a doubt, the use of soybean products has continued to expand worldwide.
Soybeans are now more popular than ever, thanks to their versatility as a food. The nutritional value offered by soybeans is great because they contain fibre, zinc, iron, protein, calcium, and they are low in saturated fat and besides having zero cholesterol.
