2016: UN International Year of Pulses
| The United Nations has declared 2016 as the International Year of Pulses, with the aim of raising awareness of the many benefits of pulses and building their position as a primary source of protein and other essential nutrients. |
Following the International Year of Soils in 2015 and earlier years celebrating family farming and quinoa, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has declared 2016 as International Year of Pulses.
The aim is to raise awareness of the many benefits of pulses - "nutritious seeds for a sustainable future" - and to build their position as a primary source of protein and other essential nutrients.
Here at Hodmedod we are naturally delighted at the prospect of this international year-long campaign to promote pulses, their dietary value (providing excellent nutrition and reducing the risk of disease), environmental benefits and role in delicious dishes around the world. We founded Hodmedod in 2012 with very similar aims to raise awareness of British-grown pulses and encourage their use in British kitchens.
We'll be running a series of articles highlighting aspects of pulses through the year and continuing to add to our library of recipes for pulses grown on British farms. (We like other pulses too but will leave others to promote those.)
We're kicking off the year with a Pulse Feast in our warehouse on Twelth Night, the 6th January (when beans play a central part in traditional celebrations). Look out for photos and recipes of the dishes our team members bring - we'll share them on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram feeds and post a round-up here too.
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Also in Hodmeblog
Liberty Fields: Cultivating Taste, Tradition, and Sustainability
A few years ago we were looking for a sweetner for some granola recipes, something UK produced and minimally processed. When our apple syrup order from Liberty Fields arrived we knew we were onto something special - we quickly added them to our short list of brilliant Guest Producers
Getting more pulses & grains into British kitchens with Holland & Barrett
We've launched ten pulses and grains from British farms as part of Holland & Barrett's transformation of their food range, available in their stores across the UK. It's a fantastic opportunity to make British-grown fava beans, carlin peas and quinoa, along with other pulses and cereals, available more widely and to support more diverse farming.
Apple Natural: wholesome fruit snacks from a traditional Cornish orchard
Down a warren of country lanes, not far from the Tamar Valley in Cornwall, is Julie Bailey's orchard Lower Trelabe, where she grows historic local varieties of apple and makes her delicious Apple Natural apple shreds, traditional fruit leathers that contain only the natural plant sugars.
Nick Saltmarsh
Author