Soya beans & tofu. Sliced tofu on a plate on top of soya beans. Tofu or bean curd is a soya bean product which is used as an alternative to meat. Soya beans, the seeds of the soya plant, Glycine max, are one of the best dietary sources of protein. They were originally grown in eastern Asia, the beans and their products forming an important part of the traditional Chinese and Japanese diet. They are now grown in many parts of the world, particularly in the American corn belt. In the west, soya beans are largely used for the production of oil and margarine.