Soy milk: Difference between revisions

'''Soy milk''' , also known as '''soya milk''' or '''soymilk''', is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding [[soybean]]s, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a [[Emulsion#Appearance and properties|stable emulsion]] of oil, water, and [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]]. Its original form is an intermediate product of the manufacture of [[tofu]]. Originating in China, it became a common beverage in Europe and North America in the latter half of the 20th century, especially as production techniques were developed to give it a taste and consistency more closely resembling that of [[dairy milk]]. Soy milk may be used as a substitute for [[dairy milk]] by individuals who are [[vegan]] or [[lactose intolerant]].

Soymilk was mentioned in various European letters from China beginning in the 17th century.{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2013|p=5}} "Soy milk" entered the English language (as "soy-bean milk") in an 1897 [[USDA]] report.{{sfnp|Langworthy|1897}}{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2009|p=174}} [[Li Shizeng|Li Yuying]] established Caséo-Sojaïne, the first soy milk "dairy", in [[Colombes]], France, in 1910; he received the first British and American patents for soy milk manufacturing in 1912 and 1913.{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2013|p=6}} J.A. Chard began production of "Soy Lac" in New York City, United States, in 1917.{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2013|p=6}} Harry W. Miller—an American businessman forced to relocate his factory from Shanghai owing to [[Second Sino-Japanese War|World War II]]—was similarly compelled by the [[USDA]] and the US dairy industry to use the term "Soya Lac" rather than "soy milk".{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2013|p=6}} [[John Harvey Kellogg]] had been working with what he called "soymilk" at his [[Battle Creek Sanitarium]] since 1930, but was similarly compelled to market his [[acidophilus]]-enriched beverage as "Soygal" when it began commercial production in 1942.{{sfnp|Shurtleff & Aoyagi|2004}}

Traditional East Asian soymilk has a "beany" odor, partly of [[hexanal]], considered disagreeable by most Westerners. This is caused by the [[lipooxygenase]] (LOX) in the soy oxidizing the fat in the beans. Rehydrating the beans allows the reaction to proceed with the oxygen gas dissolved in soaking water.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hildebrand |first1=David |last2=Kemp |first2=Thomas |last3=Andersen |first3=Roger |last4=Loughrin |first4=John |title=Method of Reducing Odor Associated with Hexanal Production in Plant Products |url=https://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_patents/27/ |journal=Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Patents |date=21 May 1991}}</ref> To eliminate the odor, one can either disable the LOX enzyme with heat or remove the oxygen dissolved in the water. The former can be achieved by soaking beans in hot water (a "hot grind"), skipping the soak entirely, or [[Blanching (cooking)|blanching]] the soy in water or steam first.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhang |first1=Yan |last2=Guo |first2=Shuntang |last3=Liu |first3=Zhisheng |last4=Chang |first4=Sam K. C. |title=Off-Flavor Related Volatiles in Soymilk As Affected by Soybean Variety, Grinding, and Heat-Processing Methods |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |date=1 August 2012 |volume=60 |issue=30 |pages=7457–7462 |doi=10.1021/jf3016199 |pmid=22812487}}</ref> The latter can be achieved by a variety of chemical means, such as adding glucose and [[glucose oxidase]] to consume the oxygen.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Takenawa |first1=Seishi |last2=Takeda |first2=Hideki |last3=Horikoshi |first3=Mie |title=Process for preparation of soya milk with an improved flavor |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0328322A2 |language=en |date=16 August 1989}}</ref> The soybean cultivar also influences the odor<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Yuan |first1=S |last2=Chang |first2=SK |title=Selected odor compounds in soymilk as affected by chemical composition and lipoxygenases in five soybean materials. |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |date=24 January 2007 |volume=55 |issue=2 |pages=426–31 |doi=10.1021/jf062274x |pmid=17227075}}</ref> and a mutant cultivar lacking LOX completely has been produced.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhou |first1=Yanping |last2=Li |first2=Xingfei |last3=Hua |first3=Yufei |last4=Kong |first4=Xiangzhen |last5=Zhang |first5=Caimeng |last6=Chen |first6=Yeming |last7=Wang |first7=Shaodong |title=The absence of lipoxygenase and 7S globulin of soybeans and heating temperatures on the properties of soymilks and soy yogurts |journal=LWT |date=November 2019 |volume=115 |pages=108431 |doi=10.1016/j.lwt.2019.108431|s2cid=199647823 }}</ref>

[[File:Soy milk soup with wonton cc flickr user jetalone 2.jpg|thumb|Soy milk soup with salt and vinegar, along with vegetables and ''[[wonton]]''s]]

* {{cite journal |last1=Lawrence, |first1=S. E.; et|last2=Lopetcharat al|first2=K. (2016),|last3=Drake |first3=M.A. "|title=Preference Mapping of Soymilk with Different U.S. Consumers", |journal=Journal of Food Science, |date=February 2016 |volume=81 (|issue=2): |pages= S463–76, [[|doi:=10.1111/1750-3841.13182]], PMID |pmid=26677062. |url= |access-date= |language=en |issn=0022-1147}}