Product Review: 8th Continent Soymilk Original & Vanilla (With Recipe)

Photos courtesy of www.8thcontinent.com/

I'm used to other soymilks but decided to try this one about a year ago when there were no other options at the store. I felt that the packaging was very friendly and looked as if a very happy child had drawn the cover - otherwise it was simple white packaging. It also states the common notice that soy protein may have the ability to lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease and has a common top to open the package through. In front it states that it is both lactose and gluten-free, so if you've ever had to worry about either in your soymilks then this may be a better choice for you.

The first of the two soymilks that I had tried was "8th Continent Soymilk Original" and when smelling the container it smelled more so like Silly Putty or Playdoh had been rolled through it and there was a bit carried over. I was a bit hesitant with the initial smell-test, but I poured it into a glass and found that there was still a hint of that taste, although very faint. It was not a very invigorating or inviting taste but I found that it was "milky" afterwards, making it somewhat better. The mouth feel of it, however, felt as if someone had just combined a powder with water and it didn't completely mix because on the top it was very smooth and nice but in the middle it got a bit watery and then proceeded onto chalky.

When combined with vinegar (or any other acids) I found that it curdled immediately, which is a good sign for whenever you're baking or using vegan buttermilk. It did not remix with any of the liquid at floated around on the top, which made it look quite gross although it is what is mostly expected from curdled soymilk. Although other soymilks work similarly when curdled, the texture and mouth feel of this soymilk made it so that it was a bit slick. Taking a look at the ingredients list, it looks like there may be an answer as to why it feels a bit oily and powdery - Soybean Oil and Soy Protein are separate on the ingredients list, while normally I would assume that they're simply doing this as soybeans do contain their own oils but that seemed to be an odd thing to place on such a list. Essentially, from as far as I can tell, they're mixing two different components from the same plant with water and you're receiving something that tastes a bit like baby formula and reacts like it too. 

8th Continent Soymilk in Vanilla has the same reaction and base flavor although the vanilla makes it a bit easier to drink it also seems to heighten the scent of it. When it comes to baking, both react\ quite well with whatever you're using and you only really taste 1% of it, while providing some good flavor and moisture. Infact, I've used it for my (extremely) simple pancake recipes below - you be the judge.

8th Continent Pancake Recipe:

1 cup of Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp of Baking Powder

1/4 tsp of Baking Soda

2 & 1/2 tsp Stevia

1 tsp Raw Sugar

1/2 cup of 8th Continent Buttermilk

Water to thin

Combine your dry, then fold in your wet about 10 times, then let the mixture rest, scoop out in 1/4 cups and cook on low-heat with a low-fat spray. This recipe makes about four pancakes so it is equal to two general servings.

[                   (Cal)  (Carbs) (Fat) (Prot.)

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Total:	556	98	4	28
Per Serving:	258	49	2	14]

So, here are my ratings for this edible product.

Packaging: 3/5

Taste: 2/5

Smell: 1/5

Mouth Feel: 1/5

Curdling: 4/5

Baking: 3/5

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Now, every soy milk is different, so my first reaction may not be the reaction of yours and I do still buy this soy milk when absolutely necessary and have become used to the taste, but it would most definitely would not be my first choice or suggestion for you.

To enjoy or not to enjoy, that is the question!

Vegan Sherbet, Ice Cream Floats and Silk Fruit & Protein (Low-fat, raw-vegan option, simple)

So cool, frothy and delicious - only lightly sweet but bursting with mango and ginger flavor. The ginger ale just slightly foams over the top and then slides slowly down the glass. This is so simple and really only takes about a day to make, which is pretty good considering that this doesn't require an ice cream machine. The main recipe also has a lot less fat but is more like a slushy/boba tea type of thing, but if you want it to be creamier or raw vegan then feel free to use some coconut milk. The best part of this is that it makes use of the yummy Silk Fruit & Protein drink (Mango and Peach)

(Soy-Based, Low-Fat Recipe)

• 1/2 cup of Mango Juice & Silk Fruit & Protein
• Juice of 1/2 Lemon
• 1/4 cup of Sugar (add more if you wish)
• 1 tsp of Coconut Oil

(Raw Vegan Recipe)

• 2 cups of Whole Coconut Milk
• 1 cup of Mango Juice
• 1/4 cup of Raw Sugar or Agave Nectar

(Directions)

• Simply mix your ingredients together then place in the freezer or ice cream machine.
• Let it stay in the freezer for about two and a half hours or until the outside has started to freeze, then break apart with a silicone spatula and keep bringing the pieces into the middle. Do this every couple of hours for about three to five times or until you are satisfied.
• Let freeze until scoopable then serve in a nice ginger-ale fruit with lime or all by itself!
• Enjoy!

Soya Milk Doesn't Come From Cows

Imagine a cheap way to get your protein, vitamins and minerals without having to spend a lot of money every week. Can you think of it? If you answered "Steal from your neighbor's garden." then that's the incorrect answer and stay away from my yard. If you answered "Make soy milk of course!" then that is the correct answer and thus will be rewarded with this divine recipe!

If you can't find soy beans in your local grocery store, more than likely any Asian market or grocery store you go to will. Make sure to look for organic split soy beans to avoid those nasty GMO's, and to buy a few good packets of them for good measure. Once you've done that, wash about 1 cup of your soybeans and then soak them in enough water to cover them for 12-24 hours or so, and if you want your soy milk to look more like store-bought, use double the amount of soy beans and some more water. Once the hours are up you can drain most of the water and then place them into a pot (or a microwave-safe bowl) and heat them on high for about 2-4 minutes. Once that is done, add about 6-8 cups of cold water to a large glass blender and drain your soy beans over the sink. Once they are drained, place the first half into the blender and blend it until the bottom is nothing but mashed soy beans. Sift that out into a bowl once and put the liquid back in, moving the soybeans (or Okara) to a different bowl. Next, add the second half of soy beans into the liquid and repeat the process.

Sift it through as many times as possible until there is no detectable soy bean mulch left. Place the used soy beans in the bowl with the rest and you can immediately make the protein-filled okara burgers (after the soy-milk is made). Once you have all of your soy milk ready, add it to a large pot and boil it for about 10 minutes, and once those ten minutes are up add 1 teaspoon of iodized salt, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Stir it together and put it into a container (mine has a built-in strainer). If you want it to be healthy you can add a crushed vitamin B12 packet and a crushed Calcium Magnesium tablet for every half gallon of soy milk as well.

Let it cool and enjoy as is or you can make it into tofu (if unflavored). As the soy milk is cooling, prepare to make enough okara burgers to eat for a week. Take half of the okara mixture and combine it with about 4 ounces of pressed silken tofu, blend it through until it turns into a paste, then add it to the rest of the chunky okara and use it as a binder. Sprinkle it liberally with salt, pepper and any other spices you want in your burger. After that is done, heat up some leftover vegetables from your fridge in a well-oiled pan until they soften up. I had red and green bell pepper, garlic and onions in my fridge, but anything is fine. After you've done that, add the cooked vegetables to the okara and sprinkle in about half a cup or so of Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs) and mix it all together. Form patties with them (I only used about three tablespoons for each) and if you like you can twirl them around in an equal mixture of cornstarch in water and then press them into more breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Once all of the patties have been assembled, heat up a pan with some oil and delicately place a small batch of burgers with it. Be careful when you flip it when the other side has turned golden brown, and place the burgers onto a plate, being careful not to let too many breadcrumbs soak up the oil and end up in the pan. Once the last batch is done you can make them into little sliders, cover them in sriracha, or make a tofu tartar sauce.

Okara Burgers Recipe:
1-2 cups of Okara (mashed soybeans)
About a cup of minced Veggies
1/2 a cup Tofu (any type)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Tofu Tartar Sauce Recipe:
1/2 a cup of pressed Silken Tofu
2 tbl Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 a tsp Iodized Salt
1/2 a teaspoon of White Vinegar (or to your taste)
1-2 tsp of Dijon Mustard
Pepper to taste
Minced Sweet Pickles (any amount)
A dash of Paprika
A tbl of Olive Oil


Soy Milk Recipe:
Organic Split Soy beans
6-8 cups Cold Water
Iodized Salt
Vanilla Extract


Tools Needed For Soymilk:
1 Glass Blender
1-2 Large Strainers
2 Large Bowls

Enjoy!

                                                                                                        Signed,

                                                                                                                               <3 Bou Shin <3