LEGUMINOUS

First, let's to understand...

The are SEEDS or GRAINS that form inside a protective structure - DEVELOP IN PODS!

History:

According with the manuscripts… the leguminous are inside the oldest foods food.

In Egypt and Greece they were consumed as a symbol of life.

The Romans use the leguminous in their banquets, in their gastronomic parties and also used to pay bets.

Leguminous were the essential part of the warrior's diet. I was their mais protein source to have stamina, muscle and strength to face big battles. The ruins of ancient Troy reveal evidence that bean preparations were the favorite.

Records also point out that leguminous had a food presence in the Bronze Age, in Switzerland and between Hebrews, about 100 thousand years BC.

How they are constituted:

All leguminous grains/seeds are constituted in this way, with these characteristics… with only minor variations:

• Seed coat - The outer protective covering of a seed. Also called testa. The purpose of the seed coat is to protect the seed from physical, temperature-related, or water damage. The seed is surrounded by a shell composed of fibers.
• Cotyledon - contain the stored food reserves of the seed. 
• Radicle - is the first part of the seed which emerge from the seed towards the soil. So, radical helps seed to grow the root system. 
• Plumule/Epicotyl - is the embryonic shoot above the cotyledons.
• Hypocotyl - is what appears to be the base stem under the spent withered cotyledons, and the shoot just above that is the epicotyl.

Leguminous nutritional composition:

• Protein: 20 to 25% - soy is an exception, contains about 38 to 40% of proteins - are excelentes sources of vegetable protein
• Carbohydrate: 50% of starch, oligosaccharides (raffinose + stachyose)
• Source of fibers
• Rich in iron (non heme) - 7mg to 12mg -> Fe
• Zinc -> Zn
• Potassium -> K
• B vitamins - mainly Thiamine
• Folic acid -> C19H19N7O6

Benefits:

• Low cost
• Easy to buy - easy access
• Big variety
• High nutritional value

Anti-nutritional factors:

Leguminous have, in its composition, anti-nutrition facts, as inhibitors trypsin, phytates, polyphenols and oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose). These factors are not good for our body, may cause abdominal distension, diarrhea, colic intestinal, flatulence… but you can dribble them, eliminating almost completely. Just for you to understand how this can be done...

• Trypsin: with heat treatment (cooking process) can inactive over 90% after 60 minutes at 100ᐤC.
• Phytates and Polyphenols: normally these substances bind with iron and zinc, making them unavailable. Taking vitamin C (orange) facilitates absorption of iron and zinc, because they joy them, preventing their connection to absorption inhibitors and increasing the bioavailability of these minerals.
• Oligosaccharides (raffinose and stachyose): related to the production of flatulence (gases) by fermentation in the large intestine. The cold soaking, together with how cooking, help solubilize substances.

Special attention:

Some people have abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea and flatulence when eating leguminous due to anti-nutritional factors.

Still others, have a huge sensibility, due to anti-nutritional found in part of the fibres, which are composed of raffinose and stachyose (oligosaccharides). These fibres are indigestible, the human body can not absorb and are very important to intestinal function - important for microorganisms that live in the gut - is the food for gut microorganisms/bacteria.

For the most sensitive people, what happens is that the body doesn't produce the enzymes or doesn't produce enough to be able to break/absorb. Those people end up suffering from the large production of flatus… known as gases. When the gases are not expelled (the person can not fart), the gases stay inside the body where they provoke acute stomach pain, swelling, colics, abdominal distension, there is a lot of gas production… happens like the greenhouse, the person becomes full of gases and can not expel them, generating a lot of pain. When the person can expel, send out of the body, is released in the form of gases and through belching, making the person go through awkward moments, because the person can not control the frequency (which are usually several sequences) and can not control the smell.

To avoid all of discomfort just you pay attention and take some care before and during the preparation of leguminous.

How gases are produced:

You eat the leguminous -> the food goes to the stomach where it is crushed and the digestion process begins -> food arrives in the gut -> the fibers of the food (raffinose and stachyose = oligosaccharides, present in the husk or protective film of the grain/seed) are important for the microorganisms present in the gut, are the food for the gut bacteria -> when arrives in the gut, the body not produce or not produce in small quantities the enzymes to do the process to break down the fibers -> food can not be absorbed property -> food is idle (stopped) in the gut where the FERMENTATION process occurs -> produce gas.

Leguminous pre and preparation:

Most of leguminous are submitted the wet heat cooking process (heat + water). Peanut and soy are exceptions, both of them can be submitted to dry heat, due to their unique characteristics, such as high lipid content and lower carbohydrate percentage.

• Cold soaking:
• Put the leguminous in a container and fill it with water - put 4x more water than the measurement leguminous.
• Leave the soak inside of the fridge for at least 24 hours.
• Change the water every 8 hours.
• The grain will moisturize and increase its size.
• After the soaking period, eliminate the water (do not use this water because it contains antinutrientes in it), wash the grains in running water and put them to cook.
• The soaking time varies by grain - lentil is the fastest, loosens well the antinutrients within 24 hours (even less… 4 hours up), the beans are slow, I leave in soaking 2 or 3 days, always respecting the water changes and leaving inside the fridge.
• Why leave it in the fridge? Many people leave out, but it is not safe, because there may be contamination. Out of the fridge, you will see a fermentation process process, it even forms a white foam (think...it would all go into your body and cause the flatulence). The contamination occurs during this process. The perfect temperature for microorganisms to act on is room temperature - not cold and not too hot. Because of this, you should keep the soak inside de fridge, the soaking process will happen normally.
• Can I put baking soda or lemon or vinegar into soaking helps? There are no studies that prove if it makes a difference in the process. The process occurs when your food stays in contact with water for a specific time. The water is that does all the work, is the powerful.

• Hot soaking:
• Put the grains in the pressure cooker.
• Cover with water 3 times as much as leguminous.
• Close the pressure cooker and put to cook.
• When it starts to boil, raise the pressure, leave to cook for 2 minutes (2 minutes… neither 3 or 2), turn off the heat and keep the grains inside the closed pan for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, open the pan, throw away the water of the cooking (must throw away), wash the grains and put again inside the cooker pressure or a pan and do your cooking process.

The secret to not suffering with gases:

This tip goes to people who have a lot of sensitivity (like me).

I am vegan and my main source of protein is the leguminous but… I am so sensitive eating the grains… all kinds of grains, my body doesn't produce or doesn't produce enough enzymes to do the process correctly. I suffered a lot and today not so much with abdominal distension, I have been through all the symptoms and I can say… it is terrible, so much pain and farts. Those who suffer from this will understand me.

After many studies, tests, experiences with me, I will tell you a precious tip to eat these powerful grains without causing pain.

You must do the COLD SOAKING, for me the hot one doesn't work, and in my experiences I found that the COOKING process helps a lot. I do not use the pressure cooker to do the preparation, I cook in normal pan only. The lentils cook in 5 minutes but the beans (longer) take about 3 hours, until the grains get soften. I leave cooking in a pan without lid (to evaporate the water the environment). When the water level decreases, I add boiling water to not change the temperature, not to have thermal shock (not to interfere with the softening of the grain).

The secret are COLD SOAKING and COOK IN A NORMAL PAN. The longer the grain be in contact with the boiling water, the more water can work and break down substances like raffinose and stachyose (the most resistant), that cause discomfort. 

The grains will lose some minerals and vitamins, but is just a little, and their protein quality don't change.

Stay the tip!

Cooking time:

The time varies according to the kind of grain. Some types cook faster, like lentils, and others take longer like chickpeas and peas (+ or - 30 minutes), soy and beans (for hours).

The ideal time is that when the grain get totally soften. You will have to be watching and trying to know.

Leguminous types:

PEANUT -> the seeds develop in pods. Attention here… peanut is not an oilseed, it is a leguminous! Many people confuse because its composition that contains a lot of oil (good one), but it is part of the leguminous family.

It is cooked or baked, can be extracted its oil using it in cooking and we also find it in the form of peanut butter.




LENTIL -> the seeds develop in pods. There are some kinds of lentil: brown, green and red. Used to prepare salads, soups, with rice, with sauces with pasta… and as your creativity, crating new preparations.

Also is used a lot by the Mediteration people.


CHICKPEAS -> the grain is developed in flat or oval pods. Its color varies from yellow to almost black. It is used a lot in Arabe cuisine. You can use it like paste, toasted and ground (can replace coffee, although it has a very different taste), can be used braised, like pure, like base to do cakes and croquettes, in soups and also like flour (baking).



BROAD BEAN -> formed into thick pods, the seeds are big, oval and flat with light green color. Normally are used cooked in salad, with rice and with pasta.




PEA -> Small, firm and smooth pods, with green or yellowish grains, round. There is a variety called Sugar Pie, is a delicate pod, light-green, used whole like vegetables, in salads, fillings, soups and other preparations.

PIGEON PEA -> known as andu or guando, small grain beans, used a lot in the Brazilian (Bahia and Rio de Janeiro) cuisine.




LOCUST BEAN -> leguminous like Broad Bean, with brown color, grows only at water's edge, has sugary pul; after processing into bars or powders, used as chocolate substitute.



BEANS -> pods can reach up to 15cm in length. There are a lot of varieties: black bean, tepary bean, runner bean, lima bean, pinto bean, kidney bean, appaloosa bean, green bean, moth bean, adzuki bean, urad bean, ground bean, ricebean, etc. Used as a side dish or in preparations like soup, salad, cooked. 

It is a great vegetable protein source.

Food based of the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans civilizations - beans + corn.

Food based of the Gladiators - Roman Empire.



LUPIN BEAN -> edible grain after the curing process. There are 3 varieties: white, yellow and blue. Consumed as an aperitif.


SOY -> this leguminous features over 2,500 varieties, classified according to the color grain, the most appreciate is the yellow, whote and green. Can be consumed cooked, baked or used as a basis for other products.

Eastern food base - Asia -> soy + rice.

Orientals say "Who has soy has meat, milk and eggs."

Soy is the grain that stands out for its high nutritional value, contains high source protein, some vitamins and minerals in quantities greater than other grains.

Sources:

Classroom studies and daily practices.

Book 1: Alquimia dos Alimentos de Wilma Araújo, Nancy Montebello, Raquel Botelho e Luiz A. Borgo (Portuguese/Brazil)

Book 2: Técnica Dietética - Seleção e Preparo dos Alimentos de Lieselotte Hoeschl Ornelas (Portuguese/Brazil)

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