This Legume Tree Naturally Fertilizes the Soil

02/02/22 • 27 min

1 Listener

One of the staple pulses in Indian cuisine, the pigeon pea is much more than just a tasty ingredient in daal. It doubles as a natural fertilizer and can take nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil. In this episode, we’ll talk with Aeles, an indigenous chef in Taiwan, about the ways her tribe cooks the pea; Vikram Doctor, a food journalist in India on how it’s used in Indian cuisine; and Koreen Brennan, a permaculture instructor based in Florida, on why it’s such a great plant to have in tropical gardens.

Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Climate Cuisine here.

Find show notes here.

Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Climate Cuisine here.

Find show notes here.

Previous Episode

This Fruit Can Feed a Whole Family

The breadfruit tree can live up to 100 years and produce more than 2,000 pounds of fruit each season. It’s been a staple in the tropics for generations and can be made into chips, waffles, and porridge. This episode will dive into how it’s eaten in Puerto Rico and Hawai’i. Plus, a bit about its dark history in the slave trade. We’re talking about Mike McLaughlin from the Trees That Feed Foundation, Mike Opgenorth from the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawai’i, Juliane Braun, who wrote a paper about breadfruit’s role as an 18th-century superfood, and Von Diaz, a cookbook author and esteemed food writer.

Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Climate Cuisine here.

Find show notes here.

Next Episode

Meet Bamboo: The Fastest Growing Plant in the World

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world; some varieties can grow up to three feet daily. Considered invasive in some parts of the United States, it is embraced in Latin America and Asia for its use in architecture, fashion and food. In this episode, we’ll chat with Hans Friederich, the former director of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization; Momoko Nakamura, a food educator and storyteller in Japan; Kevindra Soemantri, a food journalist in Indonesia; and Hui Ting Tsai, a bamboo weaver in Taiwan.

Climate Cuisine is part of Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Climate Cuisine here.

Find show notes here.