I just got back from a vacation and on the salad bar they served edamame. I ate them everyday. I thought they were delicious. I was wondering if anyone knew what type of food it is and besides salads is there any good way to prepare them?

i love edamame! they are soya beans. I buy them frozen and eat them as I would eat peas, green beans etc. They are supposed to be good for cholestrol and weight loss - apparently Posh spice lost her baby weight by eating them!

Edamame is a fresh soybean. They are usually served cooked in the pod. I have a vegetable mix that I buy from Costco that has them mixed with mushrooms and all kinds of good stuff.

Usually I stir fry this and eat plain... or add a little basalmic vinegar and olive oil.

They are really good, aren't they?!

What do they taste like?

The edamame I buy says to boil them for about 5 minutes, and I eat them with salt... not sure how i'd describe the taste - kinda like a pea crossed with with a lima bean? That's the best I can think of! They're great to munch on, though.

Just note, the pod is not edible. My first edamame experience was an embarassing disaster. I went with my ex-boyfriend to a fancy sushi place in downtown Dallas with some of his high powered coworkers. I just popped an entire edamame in my mouth and chewed and chewed and had to force it down. I hope no one noticed! You're supposed to kind of drag it down your teeth to release the beans in your mouth and toss the pods in a pile.

I love those things, and always order them at japanese restaurants, but can never find them at grocery stores around here. I've only seen them pre-boiled and sold in little packs by japanese vendors in malls and stuff.

Are they just called uncooked soybeans, or do the packages usually say edamame?

here in the UK i buy them frozen from a health food shop - they have been podded. They are called edamame on the packet.

Here's some frozen C&W Edamame (in pods) sold through Albertsons. You can also buy frozen shelled edamame to toss into salads - which I often do. I can usually find both at the Super Target where I do most of my grocery shopping. It may require some digging in the frozen food section, but don't give up! Edamame is so good and good for you that it's worth the extra time hunting it down!

Albertsons! Thanks!

I don't like peas but I love edamame, so I use edamame as a substitute in any recipe that calls for peas. I put it in soups, risotto, quiche, salads, etc. I also buy the pre-shelled frozen variety (I think I've found it at Trader Joe's and at Safeway).

Also, the frozen soycotash sold by Trader Joe's, which is a mix of corn, red peppers, and edamame is excellent. One of our favorite side dishes.

- Barbara

I love edamame! I buy them in the veggie section. they are refrigerated but not exactly frozen. They come in a packet boiled with salt and water.

I usually wash them in cold water to remove excess salt from the cover and peel thm. then I either eat them alone or just add them in salad or in tofu stir fry!