National Soy Foods Month

Scott Bauer / Public domain

April is National Soy Foods Month in the United States.

Soy foods are derived from the soyabean (or soybean). Soyabeans are considered to be a complete protein, and are commonly used by vegetarians as a source of non-meat protein in dishes such as tofu. Tofu, whilst it is often used by vegetarians, is also common in the cooking of parts of Asia. Other uses include soy milk, a milk replacement used by vegetarians and the lactose intolerant, and are used in other dairy replacements. Another very common use for the soybean is in soya sauce.

Soyabeans are toxic in their raw form, so need processing before they can be eaten. They have a high protein component for a staple food, in their raw form, but they must be cooked in order to be eaten, which can greatly reduce their nutritional value. Of course, they don't technically have any nutritional value raw.