IT is the new wonder crop for cash-flush A-list celebrities, even though it remains relatively unknown in South Africa. Health-obsessed former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham eats them, Oprah Winfrey endorses them, Jamie Oliver and Nigel Slater create recipes around them.Now, edamame — the bright green beans that hail from China and are considered a superfood because they are high in protein, low in fat and packed with amino acids — are set to make a splash in South Africa as small-scale farmers plant them.At the moment, South Africa imports edamame from Kenya and China. They are hard to spot, but can be found on the shelves in Woolworths or on the menu at upmarket restaurants like Cape Town’s Willoughby & Co.Last month, the KwaZulu-Natal-based Edamame Development Programme — a pilot project between the nonprofit company Newlands Mashu and the eThekwini municipality — harvested its first edamame crop, which it sold to Food Lover’s Market and Oxford Fresh Markets.Walter Coughlan, program...
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