Free Republic

Soybeans are a top crop in Ohio, but good luck finding any locally grown legumes to eat. Soybeans -- usually marketed under their Japanese name, edamame -- are an increasingly popular health food, but nearly all those sold in local grocery stores are grown in China. Ohio farmers do grow some soybeans to be eaten instead of processed for other uses, but the majority are exported and used to make products such as tofu. The problem for local diners with a taste for the bean, experts say, is that soybean farmers are not equipped to grow and harvest edamame, which...

<p>Gentlemen, forget the steak and french fries. And lay off the cheeseburgers, pizza, eggs, bacon and all the other hallmarks of he-man cuisine.</p> <p>It's soybeans you want, guys: We're talking tofu, edamame, soy butter, miso soup, soy milk, tempeh and that mysterious "textured vegetable protein" lurking in the freezer case at the supermarket.</p>