Did you know that Soybean, late entrant food crop into the Indian subcontinent from China, is not used in any of the indigenous systems of medicine nor in any religious ceremonies of the major religions of India?

Soybean (ಸೋಯಾಬೀನ್), with botanical or Latin name of Glycine max in the Family Fabaceae, called the golden bean, is also popular as the miracle crop as it is the principal food crop grown for both oil and protein. 

Soybean is one of the first plants to be domesticated and cultivated in China (During Zhou dynasty 1125 to 256 BC) and then disseminated throughout the world, but a very late entrant into Indian subcontinent around the 16th century AD. However, there is also evidence for soybean domestication between 7000 and 6600 BC in China, between 5000 and 3000 BC in Japan and 1000 BC in Korea. The soybean grown in Northern part of Indian subcontinent came from Central China, while that grown in Central India was introduced from Japan, South China and Southeast Asia, from the 1600s by the colonists such as the Dutch, Portuguese and the British. It is also said that it was introduced into India from Burma via the Naga Hills and Manipur. Popularly known throughout India as soya, and in vernacular languages: it is Soya Chikkudu in Telugu; Suntha kadalai in Tamil, Soya (ಸೋಯಾ) in Kannada, Soyabean in Marathi, Soyabeans in Hindi) and Soyabean in Malayalam. It is a widely studied and researched versatile crop in providing food soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu and tofu skin are made, feed, fuel, and bio based products; immature soybeans is called Edamame. 

In India, Soybean is predominantly grown as a rainfed crop covering the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan; on vertosols and associated soil. Soybeans grow in distinct morphological stages as they develop from seeds into fully mature plant. As a legume, soybeans can fix atmospheric nitrogen, due to the presence of symbiotic bacteria from the Rhizobia group. Its use was popularized during the 1930s in India by Mahatma (Mohandas) Gandhi, and by the Britisher Kale, working with the Maharaja of Baroda.

It is a nutritious and delicious crop that has a lot of production in India, but many countries are still unknown to this crop. It is a nutritious, protein-rich, and valuable food plant that you can grow easily in kitchen gardens. It contains 18-23 % oil and 38-44% protein on a moisture free basis. USDA has developed a soybean germplasm collection which contains 20000 strains which are said to be the primary source of soybean cultivars.

Soybean oil is full of good fatty acids, manganese, and vitamins. Soybean oil’s main asset to hair is moisture retention. This carrier oil is non-greasy in nature that will improve moisture retention and shine. Soybean oil is clear dark yellow or faint green color. It is neutral in taste and having high smoke point. It mixes well with other oils such as sea buckthorn oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil and peanut oil. It is widely used in cooking as it provide necessary fatty acids and also regulate cholesterol levels.

India has the fourth largest acreage of soybeans in the world but its production is almost half of the world’s average. Soybean is the most resilient crop grown during the kharif and spring seasons; it takes 75 and 110 days to mature. It has been providing subsistence to small and marginal farmers under erratic monsoon conditions. During the last few decades, soybean cultivation has significantly improved the socio-economic status of the small and marginal farmers in central India.

US was the largest producer (97 million tons) but since 2019 Brazil has taken over with 114 million tons of production, while India is at the 5th place with a production of 13 million tons. Approximately 85% of the world's soybean crop ( 334 million tons as of 2019) is processed into soybean meal and soybean oil, the remainder processed in other ways or eaten whole.

Soybeans are said to be not available in grocery stores even though they have the most and best quality protein. 

The byproduct of Soybean, Soyfoods offer great promise as a versatile and tasty source of low-cost, high-quality protein to which there are no ethical objections, particularly for vegetarians.

Its medicinal uses are reported in preventing: Cancer of breast, gastrointestinal and colorectal cancer, and prostrate; against Alzheimer’s disease because of its Vitamin K content; reduces skin blemishes, acne scarring, and promote healing and prevents sunburn; and encourages healthier vision by acting as antioxidants and neutralizing free radicals that can cause macular degeneration and cataracts. 

Though a versatile crop, it has also been said that Soybean consumption has hormonal feminization effect on men, and thus earned a pejorative term, "soy boy", which is used to describe emasculated young men with asexual traits.

- Narasipur Char