Bitter vetch, or ervil, is Vicia ervilia, an ancient legume crop of the Mediterranean region domesticated in Turkey by the seventh to sixth millennia BC and still grown today in Morocco, Spain and Turkey. Its grain resembles red lentils when split but is naturally bitter, requiring leaching through several changes of boiling water before it can be eaten, and historically has been consumed by humans mainly by the poorest people or in times of famine. Today it serves mainly as a feed concentrate for sheep and cattle rather than as a significant human food.
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.