This is an example of a food type I'd kind of forgotten about, one that I could have done a post about years ago. But I had to be reminded of it, as I was a month or two ago, when I saw edamame for sale at the alternate Shop-Rite. This particular product was the wasabi flavor of dry roasted edamame from Seapoint Farms, out of California. However, the soybeans actually came from China--hence the title.
According to the sources I read online, soybeans have been cultivated by humans for at least 7000 years, starting in China. Edamame, though, is somewhat distinct, as it is immature soybeans that have been boiled or steamed. It's unknown when this was first done, or by who, but the earliest reference to edamame was in 1275, in the thank you note written by a famous Japanese monk, Nichiren. Edamame is a Japanese word, which means "stem bean." Shelled edamame is sometimes called "mukimame." And the Chinese usually call it "maodau," which means "fur bean" or "hairy bean." Westerners were much slower in embracing edamame--the earliest reference in the U.S. wasn't until 1855, when a farmer noted the difficulty in shelling the beans. The apparent first reference in a book wasn't until 1923, in "The Soybean," by Charles V. Piper and William Joseph Morse. (I checked on Amazon, and a new edition of this book can be yours for only $12.95, plus tax and shipping.) Edamame is made using immature soybeans rather than mature beans because the younger ones are sweeter, due to have more sucrose in them. Traditionally edamame is soaked in salt water to give it some light seasoning. Modern variants sometimes add other spices, to give more of a kick. Also, only the beans themselves are usually eaten, while the outer pods are discarded. Edamame is quite nutritious--it's high in protein, fiber, iron, folate, manganese, Vitamin K, and phosphorus, while being relatively low in calories, and bereft of cholesterol.
I wasn't able to get much background information about Seapoint Farms, other than that it was started in 1996, founded by Kevin and Laura Cross. (Who are probably a husband and wife team, given the common surname, but I'm not positive--they could be siblings, or cousins, for all I know.) Their official company website proudly claims that they were the first American firm to market edamame in U.S. health food stores and groceries. Since this start, though, Seapoint has expanded into offering other types of products, such as lentils, seaweed, pasta, and frozen prepared meals. With the common element that all are vegetarian, and sometimes vegan. The company also states that it's the largest manufacturer and importer of edamame in the U.S., and I for one can't challenge this. I'm not sure why they go to the expense of importing soybeans, instead of just getting locally grown ones--maybe the Chinese kinds the company especially likes don't grow well in the States. Additionally, like a lot of healthy-conscious companies Seapoint seems to be anti-gluten, if that's important to you, for whatever reason.
Edamame from various Japanese restaurants across the East coast of the U.S.: Sorry to be so vague, but these samplings were years, or even over a decade ago, so I can't be more specific. Some Japanese restaurants I'd been to used edamame kind of like the way Mexican establishments use nachos--they're a free appetizer given out to folks before your ordered appetizers or entrees arrive. They were usually unshelled, slightly salty edamame, presumably soaked in saltwater in the traditional manner. They were good, if unspectacular. The texture was soft and a little chewy. A bit bland, but a decent starter. I found them to be a nice green veggie contrast to the usual later meal of raw fish and rice.
Seapoint dry roasted edamame, wasabi flavor: These were in a bag, and were already shelled. They were green, dry, and crunchy. I could detect a definite wasabi spice bite. Better than the regular edamame I had in the Japanese restaurants. Pretty good. A more than solid snack.
Therefore, in conclusion, I recommend edamame in general, and the Seapoint Farms variant in particular. They're a good snack, and as a bonus they're a bit healthier than typical snacks like potato chips or candy. And I'll happily try other Seapoint products when/if I see them for sale, and add to this post accordingly.
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