THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Soy bean

Lisa Karen Miller

           A demon from Mount Kurama, Japan used to ravage nearby villages. His mischief was ended when Bishamonten, a Buddhist deity, threw roasted soy beans at his eyes. During the Setsubun festival in February, the Japanese throw soy beans out the door and say, “Oni go out! Blessings come in!”  To this day, there is a temple on the mountain dedicated to this protective god.

          Over 5,000 years ago, Chinese Emperor Shen Nong named five sacred plants: soy beans; rice; wheat; barley; and millet. Soy bean is a high-protein legume and a leading world food crop.

          When they were first introduced to American farmers, suspicion about the botanical immigrants abounded, which wasn’t helped by their cultivar names: Peking; Mandarin; Hong Kong; etc.  When American breeders got involved, they used regional places or prominent names: Adams; Lincoln; Chippewa; Arksoy; Volstate; and Pelican. This helped to thaw their chilly reception.

          The “King of Legumes” contains 30 to 40 per cent protein, plus lecithin, vitamins, and minerals.  A field of soy beans yields 15 to 20 times as much protein as cattle raised on the same land. The foliage is used for fodder, silage, and fertilizer.

          Ancient Chinese texts explain its medicinal uses. It was a remedy for headache, fever, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, lung congestion, and even measles.  Preparations were administered as a tonic for the heart, kidneys, liver, stomach, and intestines.

          The crushed leaves were applied to snake bites. Chewed seedpods were applied as a poultice to skin ulcers. Its sprouts were used to treat edema and stimulate perspiration.

          Modern herbal medicine recommends extracts for lowering blood cholesterol. Studies show that diets rich in soy beans reduce the risks of leukemia and cancers of the breast, lung, and prostate. Soy beans are currently being studied as a preventative for mouth cancer in smokers. Evidence also suggests they are useful anti-inflammatories.

          Diabetics often include them in their diets because the sugar remains unabsorbed into the bloodstream – vital for stabilizing glucose levels.

  In the garden, Glycine max, or Soya, adds nitrogen to the soil, making the legumes good companions for corn and useful for crop rotation.  They also repel chinch bugs and Japanese beetles, the nemeses of many a gardener.

          Miso is a fermented soy flavoring paste with which the Japanese make soup and other dishes.  The beans are also made into curd (tofu), soy sauce, and soy milk. For homegrown sprouts, soy beans are an excellent choice. They also yield cooking oil and lubricants.

          Soy bean: the sacred plant that drove out a demon.

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller