Canadian Agriculture at a Glance >

Definitions and terms

• Soybeans of prominence
• Traditional soy foods: a brief guide

Soybeans of prominence

• AC Proteus: Canada’s first high-protein soybean—intended for roasting and feeding to livestock.
• Toki: A Canadian-developed soybean selected for superior tofu production, has a lighter hilum.
• Nattawa: Canada’s first soybean developed for the natto food market, has a lighter hilum and small size.
• Maple Arrow: The soybean developed by Agriculture Canada that expanded soybean range out of southern Ontario.
• Maple Presto: The jackrabbit of Agriculture Canada soybeans and still the fastest-maturing soybean around.

Traditional soy foods: a brief guide

• Edamame: boiled and salted fresh green soybeans.
• Miso: a condiment made from soybeans, a grain, salt and a mould culture. Often used to flavour soups and sauces.
• Natto: made from fermented whole cooked soybeans. A source of vitamin B12, often missing in vegetarian diets. Natto is often used as a breakfast food accompanying rice.
• Soy sauce: a brown liquid condiment made from fermented soybeans used to flavour rice and other Asian dishes.
• Soy milk: a beverage produced from ground soybeans from which the solids have been strained.
• Tempeh: whole soybeans, sometimes combined with grain, fermented into a solid cake. A source of vitamin B12, often missing in vegetarian diets. Tempeh is used as a protein source in meals.
• Tofu: produced by curdling soy milk, then pressed to remove much of the liquid. Tofu, also know as soybean curd, is used as a protein source in meals.