01/21/2021 - food slide
Edamame is the name for immature soybeans, oftentimes prepared as a side dish or appetizer. Having a great flavor by itself, it's frequently prepared simply, with most Japanese restaurants serving it boiled and sprinkled with salt.
In casual bars like izakayas, edamame is a common otoshi (お通し) or complimentary starter appetizer. I had an interesting read saying that izakayas started serving otoshis as a means of making money off of a service. Sometimes customers would come by just for a sip of beer, taking up a seat for a very limited amount of profit. Serving an otoshi means that they could charge a customer for the service, although not necessarily for the food (kinda like how tips work in the States), while also stimulating the appetite and encouraging customers to order and drink more.
I emphasize edamame being served along with drinks because of the food's usefulness as a snack. It works as a great source of not only soy protein, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and iron but also methionine! Now I know that most people are standoffish about chemistry and chemicals in food.
Methionine sounds like meth and methane, which means it's
something that's stinky or addicting right? Actually it's super good for you, at least in this case.
I'm gonna be blunt and say that a lot of college students drink and have problems the next morning because of a wild night and dumb mistakes, and I'd have to say a bad hangover definitely ruins an otherwise good morning.
Methionine works to break down alcohol, which helps when you drink too much and to avoid a particularly bad hangover. I'd definitely recommend pairing edamame with a nice, cold glass of beer! (hehe)
Other than as a snack edamame has other great culinary uses! Sendai City in Miyagi prefecture is famous for their zunda, a paste made by mashing boiled edamame.
With its soft texture and gentle sweetness, it's a great pairing with many sweets. I found some recipes for mochi with a zunda topping, zunda roll cakes, and zunda pudding. I'd say it's similar to anko paste when it comes to its versatility, Look forward to seeing some zunda recipes in the future!
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