PULLMAN, Wash. — The edamame, an East Asian vegetable soybean attracting increasing interest in the United States and around the world, will be the center of attention at the Second International Vegetable Soybean Conference Aug. 10-11 at the Tacoma Sheraton Hotel.
“Edamame is a very tasty and nutritious vegetable,” said Thomas Lumpkin, chair of WSU’s crop and soil sciences department, “and it is gaining wider acceptance among U.S. consumers. It has a sweet savory flavor; all the nutritional benefits of soybean and a long history as a snack food and stir fry ingredient with consumers in Japan and China.”
Lumpkin has been evaluating the market potential of the crop and working with breeders to develop suitable varieties to grow in the Northwest.
The conference, sponsored by Washington State University and the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center, will feature presentations by 20 researchers; health and nutrition professionals; and marketers interested in globalization of the vegetable. The conference also will provide a forum for scientists from the United States, Japan, China and many other countries to share results of their research.
Registration fees begin at $300. Contact WSU Conferences and Professional Programs at 1-(800) 942-4978 or by e-mail at wsuconf@wsu.edu for more information.