Edamame bean, cast iron

Edamame are immature soybeans which are boiled and served cold with some salt. This dish is often served with beer as an appetizer. The pod is not eaten, but emptied to extract the peas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame

Soybeans are a fundamental ingredient of Japanese cuisine. Soybeans are a very valuable source of proteins which, combined with cereals (rice), can replace meat in human diet and feed a large population when the land is limited like in Japan.

Here is a list of different Japanese traditional foods made with soybeans :

• Fermented soybeans and salt are used to produce the soy sauce which is added instead of salt in nearly all dishes .
• The 'miso' paste used in soups is produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans.
• The tofu bean curd is produced by coagulating soy milk, a bit like cheese.
• Fermented soya beans called 'nato' are also very popular in Japanese (at least for those who can bare their very strong and peculiar taste).
• Boiled and salted soybeans called 'edamame' are served in their pods as an appetizer.