Have you had edamame before? These are one of my favorite tasty Japanese snacks that are packed with healthy protein. These are found all year long in the freezer section, but summer is the time to enjoy them fresh. Ohhhh, and I love them on salads too. There is just something fun about popping  little beans out of the pod and right into your mouth. Yum. 

After over 20 years of living in Japan I finally figured out how to make edamame the right way.  I have tried many times, but they were never salty enough. Years ago my Japanese friend told me the key was putting in lots of salt when you boil them. Well, I tried and tried, but they would always be too bland.  

Recently I was discussing this with another Japanese friend. Her answer was the same, "You need a lot of salt". "But I've tried that", I said, even adding up to a tablespoon. She smiled and replied that a lot of salt was more like a 1/4 cup for this batch I boiled for 5 minutes. I tried it and sure enough, it worked. 

It was a small thing, but I was so excited to finally figure it out. I could now join the ranks of good little Japanese wives and moms boiling up fresh edamame for a salty summer snack. Things like this just remind me that no matter how long we are here in Japan, we are still how to make life work. It takes a lot of patience and a lot of endurance...and now I know, a lot of salt.