Most places I go to use Silk, which has always tasted great to me. I think soy lattes (or what have you) taste a lot better with soymilk.
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Information
Soy milk (also called soymilk, soya milk, soybean milk, soy bean milk, soy drink, or soy beverage) is a milk-like product made from soybeans.
Soy milk originated in Eastern Asia, China, a region where the soybean was native and used as food long before the existence of written records. Later on, the soybean and soybean foods were transplanted to Japan. Soybean or "vegetable" milk is reputed to have been discovered and developed by Liu An of the Han Dynasty in China about 164 B.C. Liu An is also credited with the development of "doufu"(soybean curd) in China which 900 years later spread to Japan where it is known as tofu.
The Soybean's oil and protein provide nutrition to the germinating soy seedling, similar to how milk's protein and fat provide nutrition to the baby mammal.
Traditional soy milk, a stable emulsion of oil, water and protein, is simply an aqueous extract of whole soybeans. The liquid is produced by simply soaking soybeans, and grinding them with water. Soy milk contains about the same proportion of protein as cow's milk~ around 3.5%; also 2% fat, 2.9% carbohydrate and 0.5% ash. Soy milk can be made at home with traditional kitchen tools or with a soy milk machine (Soyajoy, Soylife, Miracle,...)
The Mandarin Chinese term for what English speakers call soy milk is dòu jiāng (豆漿; literally "soy liquid"). In western nations, soy milk is more commonly sold under the term dòu nǎi (豆奶; lit. "soy milk") than dòu jiāng (豆漿), although the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, there is a product in China that is called dòu nǎi (豆奶) which is a dry miscible powder made of both cow and soy milk.
The Japanese term for soy milk is tounyū (豆乳).
Health
Soy milk is nutritionally close to cow's milk, though most soy milk commercially available today contains artificially added vitamins such as Vitamin B12 not naturally present. It naturally has about the same amount of protein as cow milk. Notably it has little saturated fat, which many consider to be beneficial.
Soy milk is promoted as a healthy alternative to cow's milk for reasons including:
Contains fewer antibiotics, hormones, fat, cholesterol, excess protein, or links to cancer, diabetes, and other diseases
Phytochemicals reduce the risk of cancer
Soy protein reduces the levels of cholesterol and lessens the incidences of atherosclerosis
Diabetes management through its ability to control blood sugar levels. However, diabetics should be aware that most brands of soymilk - even those labelled "plain" or "organic" - are actually sweetened. Look for the word "unsweetened" on the label.
Source of lecithin and vitamin E
Lacks casein
Soy milk is pareve and so may be consumed along with meat by Jews who keep kosher
Safe for people with lactose intolerance or allergy to cow's milk
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good for your heart.
Contains isoflavones, natural soy nutrients that are beneficial to health.
Ecological impact
Using soybeans to make milk instead of raising cows is said to have ecological advantages, as the amount of soy that could be grown using the same amount of land would feed more people than if used to raise cows. Because the soybean plant is a legume, it also replenishes the nitrogen content of the soil in which it is grown. This however is not valid in many parts of the developing world where feed for cows and buffaloes is not cultivated separately but is often the by product of rice or other vegetable cultivation intended primarily for humans.
