Legumes have been used throughout the earth for thousands of years. They come in hundreds of shapes, sizes and colors, are versatile and amazingly convenient because they can be dried and stored for years. Soaking beans for a couple of hours brings them back to life, activating enzymes, proteins, minerals and vitamins.
Beans can be cooked, ground into flour, curdled into tofu, fermented into soya sauce, tempi and miso. They are excellent in chilies, soups and salads. Beans are high in iron and packed with protein. They are also a rich source of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, phosphorus and an excellent source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. They are low in sodium and saturated fats.
Green Split Peas are mainly used for split pea soup. Specially grown whole peas are dried and their skins are removed by a special machine. Another machine then breaks the peas in half.