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Lupinus mutabilis
Also called Andean Lupine, South American Lupin, Pearl Lupin, Pearl Lupine, Andean Lupin
Tarwi is an Andean lupin grown mainly for its protein-rich, bitter-tasting beans, which must be soaked to remove toxic alkaloids before eating. It is a soft-stemmed annual that grows well in cool, subtropical highland climates.
Lupinus mutabilis is a species of lupin grown in the Andes, mainly for its edible bean. Vernacular names include tarwi (in Quechua II, pronounced tarhui), chocho, altramuz, Andean lupin, South American lupin, Peruvian field lupin, and pearl lupin.
The nutrient-rich beans are high in protein and a source of vegetable oil. Their bitter flavor has made them relatively unknown outside the Andes, but the responsible alkaloids can be removed. Like other species of lupin beans, it is expanding in use as a plant-based protein.
The bone-white seed contains more than 40% protein and 20% fat and has been used as a food by Andean people since ancient times, especially in soups, stews, salads and by itself mixed with boiled maize. Like other legumes, its protein is rich in the essential amino acid lysine. The distribution of essential fatty acids is about 28% linoleic acid (omega-6) and 2% linolenic acid (omega-3). It has a soft seed coat for easy cooking. It may not have been more widely used because of its bitter taste due to the alkaloid content. It contains unusually high amounts of sparteine, which make up nearly half of its alkaloid content. However, the alkaloids are water-soluble and can be removed by soaking the seeds in water for a few days, or via technological methods. QAs are heat-stable toxins; cooking alone does not remove the alkaloids. Like other species of lupin beans, chocho beans are expanding in use as a plant-based protein source in the world marketplace.
Silver lupine · White Lupin · Lupinus anatolicus · Yellow bush lupine · Miniature lupine · European yellow lupine · Chick Lupine · Nootka lupine · Bigleaf lupine · Texas bluebonnet · Hollowleaf annual lupine · Texas lupine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lupinus mutabilis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
