Few things are as delicious and easy to prepare as edamame (boiled or steamed fresh soybeans). These are the beans in pods that are brought to you as an appetizer at some of 
the better Japanese restaurants in town. They are sprinkled with some good sea salt and you place the whole bean pod in your mouth while holding the stem end and you gently extract the beans and chew on them while you discard the bean pod. The soy beans should have some pop to them if your beans are fresh and a nice flavor that is enhanced by the salt.
I found these nice fresh, locally grown soy beans at Fresh Field in Market!Market! a few days ago (uncooked soybeans in second photo up above; notice that there isn’t much change to color in the cooked version, a sign of really fresh beans and just the right cooking time). They cost PHP65 for a medium sized plastic container that could easily serve 3 as an appetizer. 
Back home, I had to wash the soy beans in several changes of water to ensure that no soil or sand was included in the boiled bean pods…partifularly since you put the whole pod in your mouth. Boil up some water or prepare a steamer and cook the soy beans for 6-7 minutes or until just tender. Plunge beans into a cold bath to retain the appetizing color (they tend to turn an unappealing olive color if overcooked). Sprinkle with some good kosher or sea salt and serve. Remember to put out an extra bowl for the empty bean pods. Good snacking, highly nutritious and great taste!
12 Responses
I love edamame! My friend buys them in a Japanese store in Cartimar for P120 a kilo. Last week, I was thrilled to find them, cooked and ready to eat, at Big C supermarket in Bangkok, for only 40 baht a kilo!
Yummy edamame. Sometimes I eat so much edamame that I am full by the time the “real food” arrives. :)
I think sea salt is better on this than kosher salt, because sea salt is coarser, and kosher salt dissolves too easily.
I will go there and buy na. Today, as in right now. I NEVER FIND THESE ANYWHERE. Thanks!!!
Thanks for this another new thing to try back in the Phils next time. I’ve never heard or eaten them, so, I’m sure I’ve missed a lot! Do you know if I can buy some seeds to plant, in a country similar to the Phils and any idea if they are easy to grow, not like the snow peas? I really like your blog MM. It makes me closer to home each time I open your blog; it’s like opening a magazine still warm out of the press! and I don’t even have to wait for the delivery guy, hehehe…
cheers
Lou, I would imagine that soybeans are pretty easy to grow. I suppose you could get seeds though I have never tried it myself. The guy I buy it from used to sell them with the plant attached – therey were about a foot tall. He stopped that when he realized he was selling the sand, soil and bugs with the soybeans as well!
Thanks for the shopping tip MM, I usually buy a pack at japanese groceries, but the frozen ones sometimes look like they’re suffering from freezer burn. Fresh ones probably taste better when boiled. I wish more low end japanese restaurants would provide them on their menu.
Is there SOYBEANS in talipapa or palengke? what is the tagalog term? the very first time i eat boiled soybeans when i was in Tokyo last year.
kusinero, I smetimes see them at the more “upscale” palengkes like FTI Taguig and Farmer’s market Cubao. Not sure if there is a local name but edamame always seems to work…
The first time I had this was years ago in Oz… i though it was just some fat stringbean so I ate the whole thing… it wasnt a pleasant experience… it was like eating furry leather…
BALATONG is the Tagalog term for soybeans. I ate edamame in a Japanese resto for the first time in LA, served as appetizer and I thought it tasted like BOILED PEANUTS. So everytime I cook
boiled peanuts (at only P35 per ganta), it reminds me of the taste of boiled edamame!
VMA, thanks for that, didn’t know there was a Filipino word for soybeans!
Edame is not a hit to me but i like kimchi.I think food is more appreciated with the rigth introduction, place or timing. Imagine were eating with my officemates on a Japanese party with overflowing curry based food , edame,etc. But we end up eating chinese served food.