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Soy milk is a liquid that has an appearance similar to cow's milk but is the strained liquid that remains after crushing soybeans, boiling them in water and adding flavorings such as sugar, vanilla or honey to mask the slightly bitter flavor. It was developed in China at least 2000 years ago and is a very popular beverage there and some other Asian countries. Soy milk makes an excellent milk substitute for vegans and people with milk allergies, both for drinking and for use in cooking. It is high in protein and iron, and it is low in fat and sodium. However, in contrast to cow's milk and tofu, it is naturally low in digestable calcium, as the calcium remains with the residual soybean pulp; thus, digestable calcium is usually added in a form such as calcium carbonate. Although soy milk has an appearance very similar to that of cow's milk (and thus the source of its name), its taste is very different. Consequently, some people who like cow's milk will not like the taste of soy milk. However, the taste is much less noticeable when combined with other foods, and this is one reason that soy milk generally makes an excellent substitute for cow's milk in cooking. Created October 23, 2006. |