Species
Synonyms
Botor
tetragonolobus (L.) Kuntze, Dolichos tetragonolobus L.
Common names
Haricot
dragon, winged bean, asparagus pea, four angle bean, goa bean, princess pea,
pois carré, goabohne, calamismis
Family: Leguminosae
Local
names
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus.
South-East Asia:
• Burmese: /pe: zaun: ja:/ or /pé záʊ̃ yá/
•
Chinese: 四棱豆 (literally four corner or square bean)
•
Indonesian: kacang belimbing, kacang botor, kecipir
•
Khmer: ប្រពាយ /prɑpiey/
•
Lao: ຖົ່ວພູ /tʰūaː pʰúː/
(literally "mountain bean")
•
Malay: Kacang botol
•
Sundanese: Jaat
•
Tagalog: Sigarilyas, Kalamismis
•
Ilocano: Pal-lang
•
Bikol: Parapagulong
•
Thai: ถั่วพู /ˈtʰùa ˈpʰuu/ (literally "mountain
bean")
•
Vietnamese: đậu rồng (literally "dragon bean")
• Meitei: (Teng-nou-maanbee)
Distribution
The Winged bean (Psophocarpus
tetragonolobus), also known as the Goa bean, Asparagus pea, Four-angled bean,
Four-cornered bean, Manila bean, Mauritius bean, and Winged pea, is a tropical
legume plant native to New Guinea. The Winged bean Species in the Psophocarpus
genus are perennial herbs grown as annuals. They are generally considered to be
from Africa.
These legumes are widely grown in equatorial
regions towards the west of Indian Ocean at the sea level. Many varieties of
them are grown in USA. They may also grow in high altitudes like in New Guinea,
Myanmar and Assam.
The winged bean is an underutilized species
but has the potential to become a major multi-use food crop in the tropics of
Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Winged beans
is a tropical crop that is listed as one of the under—exploited legumes.
Production of these beans also takes place in
Reunion Island and eastern Papua New Guinea. Apart from Asian countries like
India and Sri Lanka they are cultivated in Africa, Australia and Hawaii as
well.
The Winged bean grows abundantly in hot,
humid equatorial countries, from the Philippines and Indonesia to India, Burma,
Thailand and Sri Lanka. It is widely known, yet grown on a small scale in
Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Winged
bean is well recognized by farmers and consumers in the Asian region for its
variety of uses and disease tolerance. Winged bean is nutrient rich, and all
parts of the plant are edible. Leaves can be eaten like spinach, flowers can be
used in salads, tubers can be eaten raw or cooked, seeds can be used in similar
ways as the soybean.
Winged beans have exceptionally high protein
content and have been suggested as a potential food source for the tropics . It
is unique among leguminous crops in that, several parts of the plant—leaves,
pods, seeds and tubers—are edible and rich in protein.
Young seedpods - cooked for a few minutes. They
tastes like French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). Mature seeds are eaten cooked.
They are very nutritious, being rich in oil (up to 17%), protein, vitamin E and
calcium. The seed can also be roasted and eaten like peanuts or fermented and
used as tempeh.
An edible oil is obtained from the seed. Root - raw or
cooked like potatoes. Slightly sweet, it contains 20% or more protein, which is
about 12 times that of potatoes. Leaves and young shoots - cooked. They are
used like spinach. Flowers and flower buds - raw or cooked. They have
a flavour similar to mushrooms when saut‚ed. The light blue flowers are
also used as a colouring in foods. The roasted seed is a coffee
substitute.
A very good green
manure with exceptional nitrogen-fixing properties, producing a greater
weight of nodules per plant than any other member of the Leguminosae. It is
used for soil improvement and restoration.
The flowers on the other hand have a slight
blue hue and the beans themselves are renowned for their high nutritional
content. One of the greatest uses of this plant is that they help in the
process of nitrogen fixation with the aid of the soil bacterium Rhizobium. As a
result of its ability to fix nitrogen using a natural process, the plant
requires very little or no fertilizers.
Uses
This
bean has been called the "one species supermarket" because
practically all of the plant is edible. The beans are used as a vegetable, but
the other parts (leaves, flowers, and tuberous roots) are also edible. The
tender pods, which are the most widely eaten part of the plant (and best eaten
when under 1" in length), can be harvested within two to three months of
planting. The flowers are often used to color rice and pastries. The flavor of
the beans has a similarity to asparagus. The young leaves can be picked and
prepared as a leaf vegetable, similar to spinach. The roots can be used as a
root vegetable, similar to the potato, and have a nutty flavor; they are also
much richer in protein than potatoes. The dried seeds can be useful as a flour
and also to make a coffee-like drink. Each of these parts of the winged bean
provide a source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and other vitamins.The
seeds contain 35% protein and 18% oil.
Potential
The winged bean is rich in protein and
tocopherol, an antioxidant that increases vitamin A use in the body (National
Research Council (U.S), 1975). Its ability to grow in heavy rainfall makes the
species a good candidate to adequately nourish the people of tropical
equatorial countries in Africa. The wing bean can also be used to produce
winged bean milk made from water, winged beans, and emulsifier. Winged bean
milk has similar characteristics as soymilk without the same bean-rich flavour.
Winged bean has also been reported as an effective remedy for smallpox and as a
cure for vertigo in Malaya. The winged bean also provides many opportunities
for economic benefit. Many parts of the winged bean can be sold. Mature seeds
can bring in a high price. There is evidence of smoked pods, uncooked tubers,
cooked tubers, dry seeds, and leaves being sold in domestic markets in South
East and South Asia. Winged bean also has the potential to be used as animal
feed for livestock and poultry.
Winged bean also known as four-cornered bean,
asparagus pea, goa bean, and manila bean, is a tropical legume plant and a
native to Papua New Guinea. It does well in humid tropics with high rainfall.
It is popularly known as “Sigarilyas” here in the Philippines and commonly uses
by Filipinos in many vegetables dishes.
The winged bean also has the potential to be
used as a replacement for fish meal used to raise African catfish (Clarias
gariepinus), a highly valued food fish in Africa.
Feeding fish represents a large portion of
operating cost for fish farmers and fishmeal is scarce and high-priced. Winged
bean can be used as the primary protein source for fish feed to reduce farmer
dependence on fish meal availability.
Winged bean also shows potential as a cover
crop and a restorative crop. Planting winged bean uniform with the ground can
reduce weeds and function well as a cover crop. The winged bean can also
function effectively as a restorative crop that can improve nutrient poor soil
with nitrogen when it is turned over into the soil.
One of the advantages of the winged bean is
its ability to produce food from many different parts of the plant.
Pods- Can be eaten unripe as a crunchy
vegetable, cooked or raw Seeds- Require cooking for 2–3 hours to destroy
trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinins that inhibit digestion. Seeds can be
roasted like peanuts and have nutrient value comparative to soy beans. Average
about 35% protein and 17% oil.
Roots-Can be eaten raw or cooked. Tubers are
high in protein and nutrient rich. Tuberous roots have 20% protein, which is
much higher than other edible roots. Leaves and Flowers- Can be eaten raw or
cooked. Flowers and leaves also have a high protein content at 10-15%.
Health
Benefits
To be blessed with optimum health, winged
beans are simply ideal. Some of the health benefits derived by eating them are:
•
When compared to variety of legumes, these beans contain the highest proportion
of calcium which make bones strong and prevents breakage.
•
Vitamins A and C along with several minerals make up the legumes that endow the
body with powers to fight diseases.
•
These edible seeds and its wing-like leaves are a vital source of protein.
•
Its flour is an excellent supplement of protein.
Nutritional
Value Of Winged Beans
• Winged beans have
the highest calcium content among all legumes and as such, are very beneficial
for the human skeletal system. The calcium present in these beans helps in the
production and maintenance of the bones and provides strength to overcome
diseases and weaknesses.
• Winged beans are
also a good source of natural minerals, vitamins (especially A and C), iron and
enzymes.
• As a legume, wing
bean scores high on protein content. In other words, it proves to be a good
source of protein for humans as well as animals.
Tips
•
While buying winged beans, make sure that they are not wilted. At the same
time, there should be no brown spots on the beans.
•
The best way to store winged beans is to keep them in a plastic bag and put
inside the refrigerator. They will hold well for 2-3 days.
•
Before cooking winged beans, it is advisable to rinse them thoroughly, under
cold running water. Then, part them dry, remove the stem and stir-fry.
•
The tuber and young leaves of winged beans can be used in salads.
•
Winged bean flour can be used as a protein supplement, while making bread.
•
The flowers of winged beans can be used to color rice and pastries.
Caution:
Although there are no reports of any kind of
post-harvest illness, research has indicated that the plant species is highly
susceptible to different fungal, viral, bacterial and nematode diseases. Apart
from this, there is also a high probability of contamination of stock by mold
fungi.
Side
effects
There are no known side effects of this
legume but careful consumption is important to avoid allergies.
During Pregnancy
Legumes can be very nutritious during
pregnancy but some women might be allergic to certain components for which
prior consultation with the physician may help.
References:
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