Vernacular Name
Hyacinth Bean, Lab lab bean, Tonga bean

Category
Legumes

Use

Rank	Class
2	Food and Beverages
	Pharmaceutical
	Cosmetics
3	Health and Functional Products
3	Fodder/Animal feed
	Fibre, Fuel and Building
	Ornamental
	Environmental
2	Other

1. Very relevant
5. Not very relevant

Place of Origin
India

Actual Distribution
It has been widely distributed to many tropical and subtropical countries where it has become naturalised, especially in Africa.The wild forms are believed to have originated in India and were introduced into Africa from southeast Asia during the eighth century. At present, it is common in Africa,... [Read_more]

Places and Types of Utilization
The mature seed is edible as long as it is thoroughly cooked. It is rich in protein and can be used as a staple food. The seed can also be prepared as 'tofu' or be fermented into 'tempeh' in the same way that soya beans are used in Japan. It can also be sprouted and eaten raw. The tender young... [Read_more]

Search for more info in the GFU website

• Search for publication and websites on Lablab purpureus

Experts on Lablab purpureus:

• A.R. Muthiah Arunachalam
• Klaus Fleissner
• Brigitte Maass
• Karnam Janardhanan
• Rahab Muinga
• Hemedi Mkuzi Saha
• Anja Christinck
• Roger Goebel

Projects on Lablab purpureus:

• Preparing a mono graph cum descriptor for Lablab purpureus
• Diversity, Domestication and Development of New and Underutilized Crops – Developing “neglected” crops and exploring potentially “new” crop plants

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• Plants For A Future
• FAO - Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations
• Wikipedia
• Prota