A soybean is a small, round bean that grows in fuzzy pods on bushy plants, originally cultivated in China thousands of years ago. Today, soybeans are one of the most important crops in the world, grown on vast farms across the American Midwest, South America, and Asia.

What makes soybeans special is their versatility. They're packed with protein, which makes them valuable for both human food and animal feed. Farmers feed soybeans to chickens, pigs, and cattle to help them grow healthy and strong. For people, soybeans get transformed into an amazing variety of foods: tofu (a soft, white block used in Asian cooking), soy milk (a drink made by grinding soybeans with water), soy sauce (the salty brown liquid you might use with sushi), and edamame (whole soybeans still in their pods, often served as a snack).

Soybeans also produce soybean oil, which you'll find in salad dressings, margarine, and many packaged foods. Scientists have even figured out how to turn soybeans into biodiesel fuel for vehicles and into ingredients for crayons, candles, and plastics.

If you've eaten a veggie burger or seen “soy lecithin” on a candy bar wrapper, you've encountered products made from this humble but remarkably useful bean.