Soy: Traditional craft, miracle crop, male threat?

Is soy “the most dangerous food for men?” This question was posed by a viral Men’s Health article and, like the #soyboy insult, it plays into modern fears that soybeans emasculate bodies. But is there any scientific validity to this online panic? And does it tell the full story about this crop known as ‘green gold’ – and how it’s shaped cuisines across the world? In this episode, Lee Tran Lam talks to restaurateur Yoora Yoon, chef Jung Eun Chae, cookbook author Tony Tan and dietitian Dr Evangeline Mantzioris.

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Are olive oil shots a good idea? Should we dunk butter in our coffee? Is soy really “the most dangerous food for men?” and is chocolate actually a health food? (The royal pharmacist certainly thought so when he treated Marie-Antoinette’s headaches during 18th-century France with chocolate!). If health experts tell us we’re consuming too much salt, how do we balance that with cookbooks advising we season our food generously for flavour? And are we overlooking the health and cultural impacts of Indigenous ingredients? It can be tricky trying to consume the ‘right things’, and the forces that shape our diets go far beyond what’s supposedly ‘good for us’. On Should You Really Eat That?, food writer Lee Tran Lam untangles the mixed messaging about the food and drinks we consume – with the help of chefs, dietitians and other guests.