Soy is an herbaceous plant of the LEGUMINOUS family, native of Central Asia.
Its fruit, like many other legumes, has the shape of a little pod containing some seeds similar to beans with very different colours, depending from the species.

Soy has been introduced at first in France in the XVIII century and in Italy in the XIX century and today, is one of the most cultivated legumes in the world, mainly in USA and Brazil.

It's one of the richest legumes in proteins (36%, in the average), but contains many fatty acids (its oil, 18%) and carbohydrates 23%.
The proteins have a medium biological value, so that they don't guarantee a complete set of essentials amino-acids, so that it must be integrated, at least, with other cereals, legumes or seeds.

Soy is also considered healthy for the presence of PHYTOSTEROLS, substances able to lower the cholesterol in our blood and of ISOFLAVONS, that appear able to regulate the hormone production.

Its OIL contains a good amount of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6), essential for our health, but not very common in usual food.

Soy and its derivate products are available all the year, normally, by the organic and natural food shops; the seeds are sold already cooked and canned, like beans and the other legumes, or dry, to be cooked, after keeping them in water for 6-8 hours.

Most of soy products, like the milk, the cheese or tofu and the seeds are not tasty and pleasant, but a good exception are the soybeans shoots, stored in water, that are rather tasty, tender and refreshing; I have eaten them frequently and they are very good in your mixed salad.

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