Uncovering the gems of our table: the nutritious and versatile legume family

Legumes such as soybeans, mung beans, broad beans, peas and red beans are not only an important part of our daily diet, but also have rich nutritional value and a wide range of practical applications. These legumes have a long history of cultivation in China and are widely distributed, gradually becoming gems on people's tables. Let's learn more about them.

Soybeans: Nutritious and versatile

Soybeans have many uses in my country, including processing, eating, feed and seeds. Processing consumption includes protein, oil and other industrial consumption. In traditional food processing, soybeans are mainly used in tofu, soy milk and other soy products.

Soybeans have the advantage of high protein content and can be eaten directly or used in food processing. The share of soy protein food in the international market is growing at a rate of 10%. The annual production of soy protein isolate is 400,000 to 500,000 tons, half of which is sold abroad, exported to more than 90 countries and regions around the world, accounting for 50% of the total global soy protein trade. The production of soybean oil is growing rapidly, and soybean oil consumption ranks first among all vegetable oils.

Soybeans contain about 35% carbohydrates, among which oligosaccharides have good physiological functions and can be used as feed additives to control salmonella infection and improve animal immunity. Soybeans are also rich in various vitamins and mineral elements, such as VC, vitamin B5, vitamin A, pantothenic acid, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.

In addition, soybeans are rich in bioactive substances. Soy isoflavones are bioactive ingredients with estrogen-like functions that can delay female aging, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and inhibit certain cell mitosis and tumor metastasis. Soy isoflavones can also be used as feed additives in animal husbandry production to improve the efficiency of animal protein synthesis and improve the lean meat rate of livestock and poultry carcasses. In recent years, the extraction and synthesis processes of soy isoflavones have been continuously improved, and their application as a new feed additive has become more and more extensive.

Mung Bean: The Perfect Combination of Food and Medicine

Mung bean is a typical high-starch, low-fat food with the characteristics of being both a medicine and a food. It can not only be processed into a variety of delicacies as a food ingredient, such as vermicelli, mung bean sprouts and mung bean soup, but also has important medicinal value. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that mung bean has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, relieving summer heat and promoting diuresis. Its medical value is mainly reflected in antibacterial and antimicrobial effects, lowering blood lipids, anti-tumor and detoxification.

Mung bean has wide adaptability and strong stress resistance, and can tolerate drought, barren and hidden environments. Mung bean has a short growth period and has the ability to symbiotically fix nitrogen and fertilize the soil, so it is suitable for intercropping with a variety of crops. It can be used as a fallow crop and is suitable for intercropping or mixed planting with tall crops such as corn, millet and sorghum. In addition, the stems and leaves of mung beans can also be used as feed and green manure, which has high economic value.

Broad beans: diverse uses from food to feed

Broad beans occupy a pivotal position in Chinese food culture. There are many kinds of leisure and flavor snacks made from dried broad beans, such as Shaoxing fennel broad beans, crispy pepper and salt beans, strange-flavored broad beans, etc. In addition, many regions in my country have the tradition of eating sprouted broad beans. Broad beans are a treasure from head to toe. Its seeds, stems, leaves, flowers, pods and seed coats are all used as medicinal materials, playing an important medicinal value. The main effects are to strengthen the spleen and remove dampness, and to relieve constipation and cool the blood. As livestock feed, broad beans have a long history. When combined with other grain feeds, they can significantly improve the conversion rate of livestock feed.

Peas: Multiple Values ​​from Table to Field

Pea is a major edible legume crop with excellent cold resistance and wide adaptability. Due to its high nutritional value, peas are widely distributed in a vast planting area and have become a multi-purpose crop used in food production, fresh vegetables, food processing, green manure and feed. Pea sprouts, also known as pea tips, pea heads and asparagus, are loved by people everywhere for their emerald green leaves and fresh aroma, and have become green leafy vegetables in winter and spring.

The varieties that are mainly used for edible pea pods are soft-pod varieties. The characteristics of this type of variety are that the pods have no hard membrane layer, less fiber and are emerald green in color. When eaten, they have a crisp and refreshing taste and are a good choice among vegetables. Peas can not only be used to make food processing products such as vermicelli, cakes, bean fillings and candies, but also have a good nitrogen fixation effect, which helps to improve the soil and has a positive impact on the increase in the yield of the next crop of non-legume crops.

Xiaodou: The integration of health care and economic value

Adzuki beans, also known as red beans, are the main raw materials for red bean paste buns and red bean and barley porridge. Adzuki beans have the characteristics of wide adaptability, strong tolerance to barrenness and rich nutrition. They have both medical and health care effects and good economic value. They are not only exported as raw grains, but their processed products also have market consumption value. Adzuki beans are soft and glutinous, with a large sandy texture. They can be used to make porridge, stuffing, etc. The red bean paste stuffing is sweet and delicious and is very popular.

Adzuki beans are a good raw material for bean sprouts, but due to their large size, the yield of bean sprouts is low and the cost is high, so there is no large-scale processing and consumption market. In addition, adzuki bean straw is a source of high-quality green fodder and dry storage feed, with a large number of nodules. Returning straw to the field can improve soil fertility and soil physical and chemical properties, and increase the yield of subsequent crops.

In general, various legume crops play an important role in human production and life. Whether as food or feed, they provide necessary nutrients for our health. They also play a positive role in the agricultural ecosystem. By rationally utilizing these legume crops, we can achieve sustainable agricultural development while ensuring food safety.

Produced by: Popular Science in China to Benefit Farmers

Scientific Advisor: Xue Chenchen, Associate Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Zhang Xiaoyan Associate Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Huang Lu Assistant Researcher, Legume Crop Innovation Team, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Co-ordinators: Liao Danfeng, Zheng Fengmao, Wang Changhai, Zhang Ruijie

Planning: Wu Yuetong

Editor: Yan Shuo (internship)