Edamame
Edamame are young, still-green soybeans, harvested before they mature and dry, usually sold in the pod and boiled or steamed. They're best known as a simple salted snack but also appear shelled in salads, rice dishes, and stir-fries.
How to buy
Fresh edamame should have bright green, firm pods without yellowing or wrinkling. Frozen edamame, in-pod or already shelled, is widely available and often more consistent in quality than fresh, since the beans are frozen shortly after harvest.
How to store
Fresh edamame keeps in the fridge for only a couple of days before the pods dry out and toughen, so use it quickly. Frozen edamame keeps well in the freezer for several months and can be cooked straight from frozen.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild, faintly sweet, and grassy, with a flavor close to fresh green peas but slightly nuttier. A generous sprinkle of salt right after cooking is the classic way to bring out that sweetness.
- Texture
- Firm but tender when properly cooked, with a slight snap to the bite; overcooked edamame turns mushy and loses its pleasant firmness.
- Aroma
- A mild, green, vegetal smell when cooking, not unlike fresh peas or green beans.
How to prepare
- Steamed or boiled in the pod — Cooked briefly in salted water, then salted again and eaten by popping beans from the pod.
- Shelled and tossed into dishes — Cooked and shelled beans added to salads, rice, or stir-fries for color and protein.
- Stir-fried — Shelled beans quickly cooked in oil with garlic or chile for a simple side.
- Pureed — Blended into dips or spreads similar to hummus, using the beans in place of chickpeas.
Classic dishes
American
- Edamame and corn salad — A simple cold salad combining shelled edamame, corn, and a light vinaigrette.
- Edamame hummus — A green, modern spin on hummus using blended edamame in place of chickpeas.
- Edamame succotash — A take on classic succotash swapping edamame for lima beans alongside corn.
- Edamame poke bowl — Shelled edamame scattered over a rice bowl with raw fish, a common Hawaiian-Japanese fusion topping.
- Edamame pasta salad — A deli-style pasta salad with shelled edamame added for color and bite.
Chinese
- Maodou — Chinese-style boiled soybean pods tossed with five-spice, star anise, and salt, served cold or warm as a snack.
- Maodou chao xuecai — A Shanghai stir-fry of shelled edamame with pickled mustard greens.
- Edamame fried rice — Fried rice studded with shelled edamame for color, crunch, and extra protein.
- Edamame dumpling filling — Mashed edamame mixed into a dumpling or potsticker filling, often with ginger and scallion.
- Edamame and ginger rice bowl — A quick rice bowl where shelled edamame is folded in with ginger, scallion, and soy sauce.
Japanese
- Shio edamame — Edamame boiled in salted water and served in the pod, a staple izakaya snack.
- Mame gohan — Steamed rice studded with shelled edamame, lightly seasoned with salt.
- Edamame korokke — A croquette variation that mixes mashed potato with shelled edamame before breading and frying.
- Edamame tempura — Edamame pods lightly battered and fried for a crisp, savory bite.
- Edamame miso soup garnish — Shelled edamame occasionally added to miso soup for extra texture and protein.