Soyfoods Guide

A Soyfoods Glossary

Long popular in the East, soyfoods have only recently found a home in Western kitchens. Yet beyond tofu, many people are still at a loss about what to do with the versatile bean. Use the primer below as one might use a tour guide to a foreign culture. All these soyfoods can be found in supermarkets, natural-foods stores or Asian groceries.

Recipes:

Healthy Tofu Recipes and Cooking Tips

Soymilk

What it is: Extracted from pressed, cooked and ground soybeans, soymilk has come a long way since researchers deciphered how to eliminate its beany flavor a few decades ago.

What to do with it: Use like cow’s milk—though no matter what the label advertises, the flavor and color will be different.

Soymilk taste test: The taste and color of soymilk varies considerably from brand to brand. In a tasting of 8 different soymilks, the EatingWell staff generally preferred the "fresh" (as opposed to aseptic-packaged) varieties. Sun Soy, Silk and Vitasoy were favored brands. The dark beige color of aseptic soymilks can also be unappetizing. Avoid the fat-free types (which generally taste awful) in favor of reduced-fat versions; check labels for too many added sugars.

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