Soya beans and soy beans are the same thing – the names are used interchangeably, and the same is true of soya sauce and soy sauce. Young, green soya beans are marketed widely as edamame. Shoyu is the Japanese word for soya.

Unlike many other plant-based proteins, soya beans are a complete protein so they often form a key part of vegetarian and vegan diets.

By themselves, they have a mild flavour and firm texture, even after cooking. Mature soya beans are used to make tofu, which is curd made from the milky liquid obtained by boiling and pressing soya beans.