Edamame are green soybeans that are often served as an appetizer in Japanese restaurants. Here's everything you need to know about these delicious nutrient dense beans along with how to cook them.
Edamame (枝豆) is the Japanese name for immature soybeans and literally means “stem beans,” presumably because they were traditionally sold with the stems still attached. Like most beans, soybeans are sweeter and have more umami due to higher concentrations of sucrose and amino acids before they are fully mature. While it’s unclear who first started eating soybeans before they were fully ripened, the taste probably played a big part in enjoying the beans young.