Ame

Pronounced "ah-may," ame is the local word for the water leftover from boiling soybeans. Ame usually refers to sweets, as in candy, but for whatever reasons, the slick soapy liquid that is a byproduct of cooked soybeans is also called ame. When we cooked the soybeans to make miso last week, our auntie saved the water after we strained the beans and put it in empty PET bottles so we could take it home. After a day or two, the liquid thickened even more and it is a pale brown thick goo that we add to our laundry. I can't really say how well it works but it's very sudsy and nothing is worse for the wear. How many times have I just drained beans in the sink and tossed away potential laundry soap without thinking about it? Who knew?