(Lupini albus – Family Leguminosae)
Lupini beans, lupins
Lupini beans are actually members of the pea family and are grown for their seeds and their flowers.
They are flat, coin-shaped, yellow-brown seeds that have a small, round hole at one end and commonly purchased cooked or pickled in jars.
They are enjoyed as a snack in Lebanon, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, where they are called tremocos.
To serve the lupini, drain the liquid from the jar and place them in a bowl. As they are eaten, the inner bean is sucked from the skins and the skins discarded.
The seeds of certain species are toxic and bitter when fresh. These are treated by first parboiling, then boiling or roasting.
In spite of the lengthy time required to make them edible, they have been part of the Old World diet for more than 2,000 years.
Some varieties are now grown to be used without preliminary preparation. The variety called tarwi
has a high protein content.
