Soybean facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Soybean
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Phylum:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Genus:	Glycine
Species:	G. max
Binomial name
Glycine max (L.) Merr.

The soybean (also called soya bean) is a special plant that grows beans. It comes from Eastern Asia. These plants can be quite small, less than 20 cm tall, or grow much taller, up to 2 meters.

Small, purple soybean flowers

Soybean plants have fuzzy pods that grow in groups of three to five. Each pod is about 3 to 8 centimeters long. Inside, you usually find two to four seeds. These seeds are about 5 to 11 millimeters wide.

Soybean seeds come in many different sizes. Their outer skin, called the hull, can be black, brown, yellow, or green. Sometimes, the seeds even have two colors or a mix of colors!

How We Use Soybeans

Soybeans are super useful! You can eat them as they are, or they can be made into many different foods. These include oil, sauce, milk, flour, and tofu.

Many vegetarians like soy foods because they have a lot of protein. Protein is important for building and repairing your body. Soybeans can also be used to make fuel for cars and other machines.

A Look Back in Time

Soybeans have a long history, especially in China. Long ago, during the ancient Chou dynasty, soybeans were thought to be one of the five most important foods.

In 1997, most soybeans grown (about 81%) were "genetically modified." This means that scientists made small changes to their genes. These changes can help the plants grow better or resist diseases.

Related Pages

• Soya milk
• Soy sauce
• Vegetarian
• Vegan

Images for kids

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  Soybeans in a supermarket in China

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  Varieties of soybeans are used for many purposes.

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  Soya bean fruit

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  Graded seed

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  Biplane cropduster over US soybean field

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  Soya fields in Argentina

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  Soybean rust

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  Soybean, illustration from the Japanese agricultural encyclopedia Seikei Zusetsu (1804)

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  Soybeans from a high-altitude area of Nepal

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  Soyabean field in India

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  Different varieties of soybeans being grown together

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  Breakdown of what the world’s soy was used for in 2018.

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  Tofu and soy sauce

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  Tempeh, fermented soybean cake

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  Soy chunks

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  Japanese soybean meat

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  Package of a soy-based cream cheese alternative with chives

See also

In Spanish: Soya para niños