| It began over five thousand years ago. The soybean | | | | How soy got to the West is still somewhat uncertain. |
| grew wild and was cultivated by Chinese farmers. | | | | Some theorize that European traders brought the |
| They called them tatou, meaning the "greater bean." | | | | beans from Asia. Others believe the Chinese |
| There is a stone mural in Northern China that is | | | | immigrants brought beans when they settled here. |
| believed to date back before the Common Era, | | | | Even Benjamin Franklin is given some credit for the |
| showing soymilk and tofu being made. In 2838 B.C. | | | | introduction because he sent seeds from London to |
| the Chinese Emperor Sheng-Nung wrote about | | | | a friend in America in 1770. It could have been a |
| soybeans and listed it as one of five sacred crops, | | | | combination of all these things. But little by little and |
| along with barley, rice, millet and wheat. This Emperor | | | | then more and more, farmers were growing |
| researched over one hundred plants for their healing | | | | soybeans on American soil. |
| properties and compiled his findings. The translation, | | | | In 1904, George Washington Carver discovered that |
| The Medical Bible of the Yellow Emperor is the | | | | the soybean contained large quantities of oil and |
| earliest known medical manual. | | | | protein. In 1909, soy-based infant formulas were |
| The Traveling Soybean | | | | introduced. In 1919, the American Soybean |
| The soybean plant was domesticated and its use | | | | Association was formed. |
| spread throughout Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia. | | | | Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, known for his corn flakes |
| Because of the vegetarian philosophy of the Buddhist | | | | cereal from Battle Creek, Michigan, is also credited for |
| religion, as the religion expanded so did the use of | | | | giving Americans their first soymilk and meat |
| soy. The Buddhist monks became well known for | | | | substitutes made from soy. Dr. Kellogg was strongly |
| their abilities to produce delicious meals with soy | | | | influenced by Ellen White, founder of the |
| protein. | | | | Seventh-Day Adventist Church, whose membership is |
| During the 17th century the Europeans became | | | | largely vegetarian. |
| aware of the soybean via their travels east, but for | | | | Today, America is a world supplier for soybeans. The |
| almost a century all they did was import soy sauce. | | | | number of scientific studies conducted on soy is |
| There is no record of European countries growing | | | | constantly growing. As the research continues so will |
| soybeans until the 18th century. | | | | the knowledge of the vast health benefits of this |
| Making its Way to America | | | | staple food, the soybean. |