344 Method employed to prepare Soy. 



Of the preparation in China the following account has 

 been given by Eckberg, a Swede* : Thirty-five pounds of 

 thefe beans, clean wafhed, are boiled for a few minutes with 

 water in a covered veflel, until they can be eafily prefied to- 

 gether between the fingers. They are then put into a neve-; 

 and When they are ftill moift, after the water has run off, 

 they are ftirred round in fine meal, made of the fame beans, 

 until they are completely covered by it. They are then put 

 into fmall fieves, or laid upon .fmooth mats to the height 

 of an inch and a half above each other, and are depofited in 

 a bafket covered with mats, where they are futfered to remain 

 three or four davs till they begin to grow mouldy. They are 

 then firft cxpofed to the air, and afterwards dried in a ftrong 

 fun-heat, or in a warm place, until they can bear the ftroke 

 of a hammer; when they are rubbed between the hands, and 

 in that manner freed from the meal and mouldinefs with 

 which they are covered. They are then thrown into earthen 

 vends, and a pickle compofed of 20 pounds of fait and 100 

 pounds of fpring water is poured over them. Thefe earthen 

 veflels are expofed open during the day to the fun, but at 

 night they are covered ; or they are put in fome warm place, 

 for thefpace of fix weeks, until their whole fubftance be well 

 extracted. When it is obferved that the pickle has become 

 thick and of a dark brown colour, it is poured oft', and boiled 

 feveral times in order to render it thicker. Some, during 

 thefe boilings, add to it fugar, ginger and other fpices ac- 

 cording to pleafure, leaving the whole to ftand for a few 

 days ; after which it is ftrained. 



From what has been above faid, it may be readily per- 

 ceived that the preparation of foy in Europe would be at- 

 tended with no difficulty if it were poflible to cultivate th» 

 beans. Bergius, however, gives his countrymen little hope 

 that this can be done ; and chiefly for this reafon, that the 

 plant blows fo late in green-houfes, that the fummer is gone 

 before the fruit can ripen. But this is often the cafe with 



* Abhandlungen der Sch>v?difchen Acad. xxvi. p. 40. 



exotics 



