History of soy

The soybean was born more than 4000 years ago, in the east, specifically in China. The emperor of that time called this plant "Ta teou", or great bean, because it's very characteristic shape recall this food. It was one of the five sacred plant, along with rice, barley, wheat and millet.

In early 1800 soybeans was transported outside of China for the first time aboar a United States ship. The first soybean crops outside of China occured around one century later, in 1900.

The soybean was really important during the second World War for U.S.A. and Europe, as guarantors supply of proteins that at the time were difficult to find.

The name Glycine, which is the name of the original soybeans plants, was first introduced by Carl von Linne, a swedish botanist from the 18' century, which has coined this name also taking inspiration from the Greek word glykys, and certainly related another tuber particularly popular in Greece in that period, the Apios.