A Preliminary Investigation on the Preparation of Vegetable Milk from Oilseeds and Pulses

Abstract

Milk prepared from vegetable sources, chiefly the soya bean, has been in use in China, Japan. Korea and other Eastern countries from very early times. Children are fed on this milk substitute, and medical opinion in China is in favour of soya bean milk as a valuable substitute for natural milk in promoting growth and development. Bowdidge in his book on the "Soya bean" describes its effect on western palates as "nauseating to say the least". Different methods have been evolved in these countries for the preparation of soya bean milk, mainly consisting of washing the beans three times in water, soaking in water for 12 to 24 hours, heating to boiling point, grinding in a mortar and straining through a bag made of linen.