Want China Times, CNA 2014-07-31
Soybean plants at the research center, Feb. 26, 2013.
(Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research
and Extension Station)
|
It is
usually a sign that food has gone bad when it turns green, but researchers in
southern Taiwan are proud to have developed a new kind of tofu made from green
soybeans which they say could boost Taiwan's NT$2 billion (US$66.3 million) of
annual green soybean exports.
Researchers
with the Kaohsiung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station said
Wednesday that the new take on tofu, which has a slight green hue, maintains
the unique flavor of green soybeans that is not found in traditional tofu,
which is made from mature soybeans.
"We're
developing many products made of green soybeans, aiming to add value to the
crop and offer new options for consumers," said Chen Cheng-min, an
assistant researcher at the station.
Green
soybeans are a major agricultural export for Taiwan and could see a boost if
the product catches on.
Local
farmers harvest some 42,000 metric tons of saleable green soybean products such
as edamame each year, according to Chen.
The vast
majority — 30,000 tons — goes to Japan. But exports dropped slightly last year
to US$68.59 million off of a record high of US$71.6 million in 2012, according
to official statistics.
Chen said
the green tofu was "quite difficult" to develop as young soybeans
have fewer protein gels than mature.
It is not
the first time the Kaohsiung research station has done creative tinkering with
green soybeans. They previously developed beans with flavors of taro root and
managed to make soymilk out of the immature beans.
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