A recent article in the New York Times by Mark Bittman on edamame reminded me on what a great and simple snack this is. Mark's article talks about the frozen variety that is readily available at many supermarkets throughout the USA.
My favorite variety of edamame are called dadacha-mame だだちゃ豆. Dadacha-mame are fresh green soybeans that are harvested in my mother's hometown of Tsuruoka 鶴岡 in the Shonai 庄内 area of Yamagata 山形 prefecture. Dadacha-mame are often recognizable as the pods often have a hint of brown as well as the brown fuzzy hair on the pods. The Japan Agricultural Co-operatives of Tsuruoka registered a trademark (number 2104023) for dadacha-mame in 1997. Dadacha-mame is recognized for the large size of the soybeans and for its earthy flavor.
The perfect accompaniment to beer, sake, or shochu, dadacha-mame is in season from July to September, peaking around mid-August. This coincides with the obon national holidays when families return to their homes to pay respect to the deceased. Dadacha in the local dialect means "father". Dadacha-mame have been harvested in Tsuruoka since the Edo period (1603-1868). The name comes from long ago when a feudal lord asked, "kono oishii edamame ha doko no dadacha no mono ka?"
On this pack the name of the farmer is on the pack written on a white circle. To cook edamame:
Cook the soybeans as soon as you can after purchasing. In a large pot, bring to boil three times the amount of water to the beans. Add a generous amount of salt to the pot. While the water is coming to a boil wash the soybeans (still in their pods) in a small amount of water. Scrub the beans hard with your hands and then put in a strainer to get rid of the excess water. Add the washed beans to the boiling pot and put on the lid. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to boil too long, the soybeans should be al dente. The pods should just start to be opening up. Strain of excess water, shock in ice water, season with salt, and fan to cool down.
If the edamame will be put into the refrigerator:
Boil the beans leaving them a little on the hard side, shock in ice water, strain of excess water, and store in the refrigerator. Consume as soon as possible.
While most people associate edamame as a savory dish, Japanese are familiar with soybeans in sweet dishes. Perhaps most famous is zunda sweets such as zunda mochi boiled and crushed soybeans with sugar over sticky rice balls. Other dadacha desserts can be seen here include pudding, mont blanc, or sandwiched between two small pancakes (dorayaki).
Dadacha-mame finds it way into lots of food, including ramen. A friend of mine worked at a ramen shop in Sendai, Miyagi, called Tsuruoka-ya. The owner is from Tsuruoka and he puts dadacha-mame into his ramen noodles. It's hard to see in this photo, but I hear the ramen is unique and good.
The Shonai area of Yamagata is famous for lots of food products from rice, cherries, melons peaches, pears, and much more. Tsuruoka in particular is a lovely place as it is on the Sea of Japan to the West and there are mountains to the East, including the famous Dewasansan mountain, which has a historic shrine and great local jizake (sake). For me, going home is always filled with great local products.
