In 1770, naturalists Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander reportedly saw wild soybeans in Botany Bay. The following century, the Japanese government sent soybeans to Australia as a gift. Thanks to Chinese miners in the 1800s, tofu was most probably part of gold rush diets, but it wasn’t until just a few decades ago – with the growing vegetarian movement, waves of migration and people asking for soy in their coffee – that the soybean became part of everyday lives. Cult tofu shops, local brewers making soy sauce, artisan tempeh makers and the blockbuster growth of meat substitutes reflect the changing fortunes of the soybean; a versatile ingredient that has also been used in plastics and cars. 

This episode features Darwin Su, chef and founder of Ferments Lab; Shannon Martinez, chef and owner of Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli; Sava Goto, chef and owner of Tofu Shoten; and Topher Boehm, brewer and co-founder at Wildflower Beer. 

Image by Alana Dimou.