Legumes: meaning beans, lupines, (chick-)peas, soybeans…we hear what they have in common, how they are and could be used agriculturally and what relevance they have in the (agricultural) landscape. Global contexts, regional challenges and the state of research were presented by Prof.Dr. Ralf Bloch from the Department of Agroecology at the HNE Eberswalde and the plant cultivation scientist Dr.agr. Moritz Reckling from the Zalf in Müncheberg. Olga Graf then reported on her study of alternative, regional protein sources and their opportunities and trends in the kitchen.

with Dr. agr. Moritz Reckling (Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung), Prof. Dr. Ralf Bloch (HNE Eberswalde), Olga Graf  (Food Kompanions)

We visited exciting culinary locations in Berlin that introduced us to beans, chickpeas and co. in the context of different food cultures. Dr. Forough & Dr. Sahar Sodoudi, Gastro Founder Award winning twin sisters from Berlin, invited us to their Middle Eastern Culture and Food Lab and gave an introduction to the world of pulses and their use in Middle Eastern, especially Persian, cuisine and presented a variety of dishes that can be created with pulses. In addition, we learned from Huadou about the production, taste and history around the diverse product soy and from Kanaan everything about Hummus.

with Dr&Dr, Huadou and Kanaan

The founders of Tiny Farms Jacob Fels and Tobias Leiber invited us to Tiny Farms in Buchholz to discuss the value creation and appreciation of regional organic vegetables. We harvested legumes together and cooked them together for a shared lunch. With Elisabeth Berlinghof, pioneer of the Tiny Farm, we learned about the types and varieties of pulses that grow there and reflect on why it is important to put more pulses on our plates again. In the afternoon, we visited the chickpea field together and talked about the challenges of cultivation.

with Elisabeth Berlinghof, Jacob Fels and Tobias Leiber (Tiny Farms)

We gathered around the stove and tasted how much more there is in legumes than their dusty image has long led us to believe. We devoted special attention to their potential as a meat-free source of protein in the kitchens and on our plates. Patrick Wodni, chef and team member of Kantine Zukunft, told us about the benefits of legumes in public kitchens and cooking for many. With his experience, we prepared and tasted different dishes that bring the diversity of pulses to the centre of the plate.

with Patrick Wodni (Kantine Zukunft), Elisabeth Berlinghof and Sophia Hoffmann