EDAMAME ALERT!!!!!! FOUND!!!!

So here I was strolling by the mostly ready prepared pre-packaged fresh veg looking for something to have on the side with roast chicken that involved no prep work and there is was....

in Sainsbury's.....

right next to the area where they keep Okra and above the ready diced swede and carrot..... fresh edamame!!!!

Shelled....


Staring right at me. 

Oh the joy!   

They sell in little plastic flat containers.  £1.99 a package. 

oh that is pure joy.

I have two bags in the freezer now for that anytime snacking moment, but fresh, wow very cool.

 

Is it not easy to find edamame?  I buy them frozen here all the time, even though you can also get them fresh.  I wonder if I will miss good sushi..?  We are spoiled by excellent sushi here in SF!

  I wonder if I will miss good sushi..?  We are spoiled by excellent sushi here in SF!

I do.. but  I do find  edamame at the local  health food store only..  don't really have the money to splurge on it though for now.. 

Huh?   I dont even know what edamame is!
I googled some images, and it just looks like beans... but i've never heard that name before.
How can i be 42 years of age and not have heard of a type of vegetable? 

Edamame (from my experience) is just soy beans!  You can steam them and then eat them right out of the shell...  It's often served as a starter or side dish at sushi places I've been to.  In Japan (as I'm told by Japanese relatives), they often have them salted at the bar as a snack.  Kinda the same way that many pubs in Britain sell crisps behind the bar and in the US many bars have peanuts or pretzels - (on the physical bar part of the bar ). 

Anyway, they are really good if you steam them and then salt them a bit... and VERY VERY HEALTHY!!! 

soy beans?!  really!?

soy beans?!  really!?

Yep!!!  Here are a few sites for your edamame viewing pleasure:

http://japanesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa070802a.htm

http://www.edamame.com/

http://www.edamame.org/

 

They are fantastic!  I love the texture and the slight crunchiness. 
I either eat them as-is with a little salt  or I throw them into any casserole where I used to use peas. 

Yum!  Thank  you for letting us know!

Are you meant to eat only the beans inside, or do you eat the pod as well, like you do with things like sugar snap peas, etc?

The pods are really tough, so I don't think you would want to eat them.  But I doubt you would have any troubles if you did...probably lots of fiber.  I love edamame, but they  do have a bit of fat in them.  Admittidely, it's probably the good kind of fat that exists.  If you are dieting, don't think just cause they are a veg that you can eat as much as you like. 

Edamame/1/2 cup cooked. Calories. 127. Total fat (g). 5.8.

You are not meant to eat the outside, just the beans.  (A friend once did, she was not well afterwards for some time!)

See I have not seen them anywhere else in the UK aside from our local Japanese place.

There are quite a few places in London that do sushi and there is one in the midlands somewhere and a place here in Plymouth.  Sainsbury's does it too -though it is NOT the same as nice fresh stuff.  I usually make my own.  I can get sashimi grade tuna from my fishmonger and organic salmon.  I tell him what it's for and he recommends the freshest fish or not.

I do CA rolls and other maki as well.  If you check out the ethinic food finds you can also see an online place for Japanese food items.

Bribery will also get things sent from Plymouth...

One of the items on my 101/1001 list is to try edamame.

In Tesco, i found a bag of Birdseye frozen soya beans.
If i eat these, steamed, is this the same as eating what you all call edamame?