While this blogs main focus is to review edamame restaurants around Chicago, it is also important that our readers understand what exactly edamame is, and why it is so important in today’s culture.

Edamame is a podded soy bean that is traditionally served as an appetizer, however, it can also be worked into many other dishes such as salads, hummus, soups or even salsas.

Edamame has been around for centuries, it’s earliest records go as far back as the late 1200’s where it emerged from Japan meaning “beans on branches”. However it wasn’t until the 1900’s that edamame moved out of Asia and became a common food in the United States, with it becoming widely available in supermarkets and restaurants around the country and then later, in 2003 being added into the Oxford English dictionary.

Edamame has always been a great source of protein especially for people who are on vegetarian or vegan diets where protein can be more difficult to find. Edamame is also very rich in Vitamin C and Iron, making it one of the healthiest foods to snack on.