Noun

Singular soybean

Plural soybeans

soybean (plural soybeans)

1. A legume plant (scientific name Glycine max), commonly cultivated for human and animal consumption and as a nitrogen-fixing ground cover.
2. The edible seed of this plant.

Synonyms

• soya bean

Derived terms

• field soybean
• green soybean
• IOM soybeans

The soybean (U.S.) or soya bean (UK) (commonly misspelled "Soyabean") (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation. The plant is sometimes referred to as greater bean (大豆 - Chinese dàdòu and Japanese daizu). In Vietnam, the plant is called đậu tương or đậu nành.　Both unriped soybean and its dish is called edamame in Japan, and referring to a specific dish in English.

The English word "soy" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of shōyu (醤油, しょうゆ), the Japanese word for soya sauce; "soya" comes from the Dutch adaptation of the same word.

Fat-free(defatted) soybean meal is a primary, relatively low-cost, source of protein for animal feeds or rations; soy vegetable oil is another valuable product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean products such as TVP (textured vegetable protein), for example, are important ingredients in many meat and dairy analogues.

Traditional nonfermented food uses of soybeans include soymilk, and from the latter Tofu and tofu skin or yuba. Fermented foods include shoyu or soy sauce, miso, natto, tempeh, Ketjap among others. The oil is used in many industrial applications. The main producers of soy are the United States (32%), Brazil (28%), Argentina (21%), China (7%) and India (4%). The beans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, alpha-Linolenic acid, and the isoflavones genistein and daidzein.