The many foods which are naturally produced from the soybean are a wonder-
land for anybody interested in cooking. Even more so because soyfoods meld
with our established Western cuisine， considerably expanding our options. It is no
secret that the large amounts of animal foods， fat and white sugar， which in one
way or another form the basis of modern Western cooking， are， among other fac-
tors， instrumental in our rising tide of degenerative disease. Soyfoods provide a
medium through which to reduce or even eliminate this heavy reliance on poten-
tially unhealthy ingredients. Soyfoods are generally high in easily assimilable pro-
tein， low in fat， with no cholesterol， and are extracted from an ecologically sound
vegetable source.
Such dishes as tempeh pizza， tofu mousseline and soymilk custard are simple
ways in which a conventional Western dish can be transformed. Soyfoods simply
open a whole avenue of creative endeavour in cooking and， using the traditional
Asian methods of preparing them， lend an exotic and enlivening edge to your daily
ea dng. You can be sure the dishes you prepare are nutritionally sound， with deli-
cious flavour and flair.
In the 1950s classrooms， where children were pondering the future， space
exploration loomed large and so did future foods. The image I had was of dried，
brown， biscuity chunks which weren t much to eat but were magically sustaining.
Yes， they were made from soybeans. The reality of soyfoods， as a gift from the
East， couldn t be more different.
From its origins in the mists of time， the soybean emerged as a food crop in
China over 4000 years ago. Its cultivation rapidly spread to Japan and South-East
Asia， and it has been a staple of diet in these areas ever since. It is the perfect diet-
ary complement to a people whose basic staple is rice and other cereal grains，
Even well-cooked whole soybeans contain an anti-nutritive substance called
the trypsin inhibitor. This effectively stops us from secreting the necessary fac-
tors tO digest the protein. It is fascinating that in those countries where soybeans
are traditional fare， the only time the locals eat them whole is before harvest， as
delicious green beans. Otherwise they are naturally processed in a variety of ways
to maximise their protein availability and to render them digestible. We call these
products soyfoods.
Because soybeans are of Asian origin soyfoods have varying names， depend-
ing on the country in which they are used. Each country also has its own varieties
arid method of making soy products， so we have items as varied as rich， dark miso
paste， and beans covered in a soft， white Camembert- like mould - tempeh，
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