Hyacinth Bean

Lablab purpureus, commonly known as the hyacinth bean, is a species of bean in the family Fabaceae, the only species in its genus, native to sub-Saharan Africa and cultivated throughout the tropics for food; it is also known as the bonavist bean, dolichos bean or Egyptian kidney bean, its genus name rooted in Arabic. Though it prefers tropical and subtropical climates, it adapts well enough to be grown in temperate regions such as Central America and Italy, and it thrives especially in eastern and southern Africa and India, where it is used both as human food and livestock fodder. It is an old domesticated pulse and multi-purpose crop, cultivated in India for millennia; its edible pods and seeds contain naturally occurring toxins and must be thoroughly cooked before eating, after which they become a nutritious ingredient across South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian and East African cuisines.