Also known as

Soy milk, Soy bean milk

Description

Soy milk (also called soya milk or soybean milk) and sometimes referred to as soy drink/beverage is a beverage made from soybeans. A stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein, it is produced by soaking dry soybeans and grinding them with water. Soy milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow's milk: around 3.5%. Soy milk can be made at home with traditional kitchen tools or with a soy milk machine. Soy milk is commonly available in vanilla and chocolate flavors as well as its original unflavored form. Plain soy milk is unsweetened, although some soy milk products are sweetened. Salty soy milk is prevalent in China, while it is non-existent in other cultures.

How to select

Soy milk is most commonly found in aseptic cartons. Most of the soy milk available in the market is flavoured and fortified with extra calcium or vitamins. The most popular flavours are vanilla and chocolate. Some producers add thickeners to their soy milk to give it a mouth feel of cow's milk.Read the instructions and best before date prior to buying soymilk. While buying soya beans to prepare milk at home, make sure that the beans are whole and not cracked and are not green in color.

Culinary Uses

" Soy milk is found in many vegan and vegetarian food products and can be used as a replacement for cow's milk in many recipes.
" Sweet" and "salty" soy milk are both traditional Chinese breakfast foods, served either hot or cold, usually accompanied by breads like steamed roll, youtiao (deep-fried dough), and shaobing (sesame flatbread)
" Soy milk is used in many kinds of Japanese Cooking, such as in making yuba as well as sometimes as a base soup
" In Korean cuisine, soy milk is used as a soup for making a cold noodle soup, eaten mostly in summers.
" Soy milk is also used in making soy yogurt and soy kefir.

How to store

Unopened soymilk bottles or tetra pak can be stored in room temperature. After opening, store the milk in the fridge and consume within a day.

Health benefits

" Soy milk is nutritionally close to cow's milk. It naturally has about the same amount of protein (though not the same amino acid profile) as cow's milk. Natural soy milk contains little digestible calcium as it is bound to the bean's pulp, which is insoluble in a human. Most soymilk are hence fortified with calcium.
" Unlike cow's milk, it has little and no cholesterol.
" Soy products contain sucrose as the basic disaccharide, which breaks down into glucose and fructose. Since soy doesn't contain galactose, a product of lactose breakdown, soy-based infant formulas can safely replace breast milk in children with lactose intolerance.