Soybean sprout is a culinary vegetable grown by
sprouting soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu a ...
s. It can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted soybeans in the shade until the roots grow long. Soybean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in
Asian countries
This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in Asia. It includes fully recognized states, states with limited but substantial international recognition, ''de facto'' states with little or no international recognition, and depe ...
.
History
It is assumed that soybean sprouts have been eaten since the
Three Kingdoms of Korea
Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...
.
Records of ''kongnamul'' cultivation are found in an early 13th century medical book, ''
Emergency Folk Medicine Remedies'', published in
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...
. The book states that in 935, during the foundation of
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...
, a
Taebong
Taebong (; ) was a state established by Gung Ye () on the Korean Peninsula in 901 during the Later Three Kingdoms.
Name
The state's initial name was Goryeo, after the official name of Goguryeo, a previous state in Manchuria and the northern ...
general,
Bae Hyeon-gyeong
BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
, offered soybean sprouts to starving soldiers.
Cooking methods of soybean sprout dishes are listed in ''
Farm Management
Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...
'', a
Joseon farming and living book. Another
Joseon document, ''
Literary Miscellany of Seongho'', states that the poor used soybean sprouts to make
''juk'' (rice porridge). According to ''
Complete Works of Cheongjanggwan'', an essay collection from the
Joseon era, soybean sprout was one of the main foods consumed during times of famine.
Culinary use
Korea
Soybean sprouts are one of the most common and basic ingredients in
Korean cuisine. In Korean, the word ''kongnamul'' () refers to both the soybean sprouts themselves and the ''
namul
Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...
'' (seasoned vegetable dish) made from soybean sprouts. The ''namul'' dish, made by stir-frying soybean sprouts with sesame oil and simmering it, is a common dish for ''
jesa
Jesa (, ) is a ceremony commonly practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. Jesa functions as a memorial to the ancestors of the participants. Jesa are usually held on the anniversary of the ancestor's death. The majority of Catholics, Bud ...
'' (ancestral rite). Another common side dish is ''kongnamul-
muchim
Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...
'', made by seasoning boiled soybean sprouts. Soybean sprouts are also used in
bibimbap
Bibimbap
* ( , from Korean , literally "mixed rice"), sometimes romanized as bi bim bap or bi bim bop, is a Korean rice dish. The term "bibim" means "mixing" and " bap" refers to cooked rice. ''Bibimbap'' is served as a bowl of warm white ri ...
and varieties of ''
jjim'' dishes, such as ''
agwi-jjim'' (braised
angler
Angler may refer to:
* A fisherman who uses the fishing technique of angling
* ''Angler'' (video game)
* The angler, ''Lophius piscatorius'', a monkfish
* More generally, any anglerfish in the order Lophiiformes
* '' Angler: The Cheney Vice Pres ...
). Sometimes, ''kongnamul-
bap
BAP or bap may refer to:
Food
* Bap (bread), a type of bread roll
* Bap (rice dish), a Korean food
Music
* BAP (Basque band), a hardcore punk group (formed 1984)
* BAP (German band), a Colognian rock group (formed 1976)
* B.A.P (South Korean ban ...
'' (rice cooked with soybean sprouts) eaten with herbed
soy sauce constitutes a rustic meal. Clear soup made with soybean sprouts is called ''kongnamul-
guk
''Guk'' (), also sometimes known as ''tang'' (), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. ''Guk'' and ''tang'' are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although ''tang'' can sometimes be less watery than ...
'', which can also be served cold in summer. ''Kongnamul-
gukbap'' or ''kongnamul-
haejangguk
''Haejang-guk''
* (, 解酲-) or hangover soup refers to every kind of '' guk'' or soup eaten as a hangover cure in Korean cuisine. It means "soup to chase a hangover" and is also called ''sulguk'' (). It usually consists of dried napa cabbage, ...
'' (soybean sprout hangover soup) is usually served in a ''
ttukbaegi'' (earthenware pot) with the rice in the bottom and the soup poured over the top. In contemporary South Korea, a spicy pork
bulgogi
''Bulgogi'' (불고기; ; from Korean ''bul-gogi'' ), literally "fire meat", is a ''gui'' (구이; Korean-style grilled or roasted dish) made of thin, marinated slices of meat, most commonly beef, grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top grid ...
dish made with a large number of soybean sprouts, called ''
kongnamul-bulgogi
''Kongnamul-bulgogi'' ( ko, 콩나물불고기, literally "soybean sprout bulgogi"), sometimes abbreviated as ''kongbul'' ( ko, 콩불; kong for kongnamul and bul for bulgogi), is a modern Korean dish. It is a combination of ''bulgogi'', bean s ...
'' (or ''kongbul'', is popular among young people.
File:Kongnamul bulgogi (marinated pork with soybean sprout).jpg, ''Kongnamul-bulgogi
''Kongnamul-bulgogi'' ( ko, 콩나물불고기, literally "soybean sprout bulgogi"), sometimes abbreviated as ''kongbul'' ( ko, 콩불; kong for kongnamul and bul for bulgogi), is a modern Korean dish. It is a combination of ''bulgogi'', bean s ...
'' before cooking, topped with soybean sprouts
File:Kongnamul muchim (soybean sprouts).jpg, Red ''kongnamul-muchim
Namul ( ko, 나물) refers to either a variety of edible grass or leaves or seasoned herbal dishes made of them. Wild greens are called ''san-namul'' (, "mountain namul"), and spring vegetables are called ''bom-namul'' (, "spring namul"). On t ...
'' (seasoned soybean sprouts)
File:Korean.cuisine-Kongnamul-01.jpg, White ''kongnamul-muchim'' (seasoned soybean sprouts)
File:Bajirak-kongnamul-guk.jpg, '' Bajirak-kongnamul-guk
''Guk'' (), also sometimes known as ''tang'' (), is a class of soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine. ''Guk'' and ''tang'' are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although ''tang'' can sometimes be less watery than ...
'' (clam and soybean sprout soup)
File:Kongnamulnaengguk (cold soybean sprout soup).jpg, ''Kongnamul- naengguk (cold soybean sprout soup)
File:Kongnamulgukbap (haejangguk) (soybean sprout hangover soup).jpg, ''Kongnamul- gukbap'' (soybean sprout hangover soup with rice)
File:Korean.food-Agu.jjim-01.jpg, '' Agwi-jjim'' made with soybean sprouts
Nepal
In
Nepalese cuisine
Nepali cuisine comprises a variety of cuisines based upon ethnicity, alluvial soil and climate relating to Nepal's cultural diversity and geography. '' Dal-bhat-tarkari'' ( ne, दाल भात तरकारी) is eaten throughout Nepal ...
, ''
kwati'', a soup of nine types of sprouted beans, is specially prepared in the festival of ''
Janai Purnima
List of festivals celebrated in Nepal:
Main festivals
Dashain
''Dashain'' ( ne, दशैं , also ''Baḍādaśhãin'' or ''Bijayā Daśamī'' ne, बिजया दशमी) is the 15-day-long festival and holidays of Nepal. It is the ...
'' which normally falls in August. ''Kwati'' is prepared by frying and mixing onion, garlic, ginger, potatoes, spices and bean sprouts, including soybean sprouts. Much variation exists from house to house. It is considered a nutritious food in Nepal. The ''kwati'' is normally eaten with rice. Sometimes meat (especially fried goat meat) is added to spice up the ''kwati''.
See also
*
Bean sprout
Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and put out shoots, and already established plants produce new leaves or buds, or other structures experience further growth.
In the field of nutrition, the term signifies ...
*
Mung bean sprout
Mung bean sprouts are a culinary vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. They can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted beans in the shade until the hypocotyls grow long. Mung bean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in Eas ...
References
{{Soy, state=collapsed
Chinese cuisine
Japanese cuisine
Korean cuisine
Korean vegetables
Namul
Soy-based foods
Sprouting