SOYBEAN milk appeared in China about 2,000 years ago, thanks to the legendary inventor Liu An, the grandson of the founding Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) Emperor Liu Bang. It remains a health staple and an important part of TCM. Zhang Qian takes a sip.

Soybean milk is a member of the "four devarajas" (si da jin gang), the four most popular breakfast foods in Shanghai in the last century. As well as a tasty drink to accompany breakfast, TCM regards it as a healthy drink for all seasons.

Soybean milk appeared in China about 2,000 years ago, thanks to its legendary inventor Liu An, the grandson of the founding Han Dynasty Emperor Liu Bang, a man who later became the king of Huainan in Han Dynasty. It is said that Liu An made soybean milk from soybeans for his sick mother every day. His mother, who had not been able to chew soybeans, recovered rapidly. Ever since then, soybeans with their amazing capacity for healing have been popular in China.

Though there is no record of the actual disease Liu's mother was suffering from, soybean milk has been noted as a health drink in various TCM books throughout the years. Soybean milk can help induce diuresis, drive qi (energy) downward, control pathogenic wind-heat ailments, and detoxify, as recorded in "Bencao Gangmu" (Compendium of Materia Medica) by the famous pharmacist Li Shizhen in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Soybean milk is a "neutral" food that is recommended for all seasons by TCM. Drinking soybean milk in spring and autumn can help nourish yin and relieve dryness inside; drinking soybean milk in summer can help prevent summer strokes; drinking soybean milk in winter can help warm the stomach and reinforce energy.

Soybean milk is high in vegetable protein that can be easily absorbed by the human body. Research shows that 95 percent of the protein in soybean milk can be absorbed by the human body. This compares with an absorption ratio of 85 percent for defatted soy flour, 80 percent for whole soy flour and only 65 percent for boiled soybeans. Soybean milk is also a good replacement for milk with its high concentration of calcium. Though it doesn't have as much calcium as milk, the calcium in soybean milk is much easier to absorb, especially for Asians.

Apart from that, soybean is also rich in soybean lecithin, isoflavone, soybean oligose and fibers, which can help anti-aging, balance hormones, move bowels, prevent hardening of blood arteries and diabetes, and relieve high blood pressure and fat.

Soybean milk also helps promote urination and sweating, which can help prevent and relieve edema or fatness.

Home-made soybean milk using Chinese soy milk-making machines has become a fashion for some modern Chinese families. It ensures high-quality fresh soybean milk made from good fresh beans that you have personally purchased. The general rule is that it is still better to drink it at least two hours before going to bed, especially in summer.

To make soybean milk, it is essential to soak the beans in water for about 6-16 hours in advance. Beans soaked for too short a time will not make a lot of milk and those soaked for too long may go bad. Do not keep soybean milk in a vacuum flask. Soybean milk will dissolve the inside lining of the bottle. Germs can breed quickly in it in a warm environment.

You should remember not to drink soybean milk on an empty stomach and do not have too much because it can cause indigestion and diarrhea. Usually, an adult can only drink 300 milliliters of soybean milk at a time - twice a day at most. For children, it should be about 200 milliliters at one time. Always remember to boil soybean milk for at least five minutes as unboiled soybean milk is poisonous. Anyone suffering vomiting, headaches or having difficult breathing after drinking soybean milk should go to a hospital at once. Don't put eggs or brown sugar in the milk or take pills while drinking it as this can ruin the nutritional advantages of soybean milk and prevent the human body absorbing the nutrition.

Colorful bean milks for different seasons For spring

Oatmeal, jujube and soybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 cup=1.5 liters) of dried soybeans, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, and 10 jujubes

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps nourish yin and lungs, reinforces energy and blood, improves the memory and protects the heart.



Oat and soybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of dried soybeans and 1/2 cup of oats

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Benefits liver and stomach. Recommended for those with poor appetites or constipation because of energy problems in the liver and stomach. It is also good for patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and hardening of arteries.



For summer

Five color drink

Ingredients: dried green beans (30g), dried small red beans (30g), dried soybeans (30g), oatmeal (10g) and black kerneled rice (10g)

Method: Soak the dried soybeans, small red beans and green beans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps dispel pathogenic heat, promotes body fluids, promotes urination and prevents summer stroke.



Millet, dried grape and green bean milk

Ingredients: 1/3 cup of dried green beans, 1/3 cup of dried millet and 20 dried grapes

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Benefits spleen and stomach, dispels pathogenic heat and toxins.



Corn, millet andsoybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of dried soybeans, 1/5 dried shelled corns and 1/5 dried millet

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps benefit spleen and stomach, promotes urination. It is recommended to the elderly suffering poor digestion after long-term sickness.



For autumn

Wolfberry millet andsoybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of dried soybeans, 1/3 dried millet and 20 dried wolfberries

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps reinforce livers and kidneys, nourishes blood and essence, calms and improves eyesight.



Buckwheat, rice andsoybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of dried soybeans, 1/5 cup of rice and 1/5 cup of buckwheat

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps decrease high blood pressure and blood fat.

For winter

Walnuts, peanuts, rice and soybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 dried soybeans, 1/2 rice, 20 peanuts and five pieces of walnut-meat

Method: Soak the dried soybeans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps nourish the blood, benefits the spleen, nourishes lungs, dissolves phlegm, moves the bowels and improves memory.

Black beans, sesame and soybean milk

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of dried black beans, 1/5 cup of sesame and 1/2 cup of dried soybeans

Method: Soak the dried soybeans and black beans in advance and then put all the ingredients in a soybean milk machine with water.

Benefits: Helps nourish and reinforce livers and kidneys,promotes urination and moves energy downward.