Cultivation instructions & Information sheets
Traditional Methods for Cooking and Preparing Pulses
Legumes are grown and eaten in nearly every country and culture around the world. Most regions and cultures have developed unique traditional methods for cooking and preparing dishes with pulses. The following provides a select insight into some of these enduring traditional practices, which continue to be employed today and have also been adopted in other parts of the world.
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Information Sheets
Cowpea
Cowpeas were domesticated in Africa. They spread into Asia and Europe and were grown very long before Phaseolus beans came from America and replaced most European cultivation of Vigna beans. Cowpeas are largely cultivated in semiarid regions of Africa and Asia and are the main pulse species in several Western African countries which have the highest per capita pulse consumption in the world.
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Cultivation Instructions
Bean Customs & Traditions Around the World
We invite you to discover traditions and customs related to pulses in Italy, USA, Korea, and Nigeria. What most customs across these four continents have in common is that beans symbolise good luck and prosperity.
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Information Sheets
Legumes and the Climate Crisis
Legumes have enormous potential in this area thanks to unique characteristics including their ability to perform nitrogen fixation and high protein content. They can also help to improve soil fertility and biodiversity, reduce the use of environmentally damaging fertilisers, and provide humans with a more sustainable source of protein as opposed to animal products.
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Information Sheets
Latest articles
Behind the Seeds | Fagiolo di Sorana with Sara (Italy)
In the latest episode of our Behind the Seeds series, we meet Sara from the Buggiano region of Tuscany. She shows us Fagiolo di Sorana, a very delicate bean with a thin skin. It’s traditionally cooked in a carafe and must be cooked slowly in soft water to preserve its structural integrity.
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Meet the Global Bean Partners: Vietnam National Plant Genebank (Plant Resources Centre)
Please introduce yourself and tell us about how your work relates to legumes. How did you first fall in love with legumes? The legume team at the Vietnam National Plant Genebank (Plant Resources Centre) includes: 1. Mr. Nguyen Van Kien, principal investigator 2. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, curator of legume seeds 3. Ms. Nguyen Thi
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Become a Pulse Ambassador Workshop
The importance of pulses (lentils, Phaseolus beans, peas (Pisum and Lathyrus), chickpeas, fava beans, cowpeas) for sustainable cropping systems and healthy diets is widely and increasingly recognized. This workshop highlighted the benefits of pulses and the opportunities to use their potential to enhance the diversity of cropping systems and in diets for the protein transition, combining agronomic, sociological, nutritional and gastronomic aspects. A large space was given for interaction between participants about ways to promote pulses in their own communities.
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