Davert Organic Legumes
Beans are among the milestones of democracy, because in ancient Greece they were part of the political life for a long time. About 2,500 years ago, drawing beans from a container decided on who would be entitled to hold the public offices. When a new judge or city councilor was needed, a jar was filled with white and dark beans, creating a bean lottery. Overall, there were only as many beans as candidates. Each of them then pulled a bean without looking. Whoever pulled the white bean won and got the job. Drawing beans was considered a significant democratic progress for the ancient Greeks, because individual rulers no longer decided about who would get the job. Every citizen – excluding women and slaves – was allowed to participate in the bean lottery. Philosophers like Aristotle found the lottery procedure in principle better than an election, because there were fewer opportunities to bribe the candidates or to influence the voters.
For large draws with several hundred participants, however, the bean lottery became too time-consuming at some point. Bean lottery was then replaced with a randomization device called the kleroterion. Afterwards, beans were no longer used in politics, and that has not changed until today. In the 21st century, beans and their plant relatives are very popular because of their nutritional values. The year 2016 has even been declared by the United Nations as the ”International Year of Pulses“. But what exactly are legumes?
Legumes are the dried seeds of plants that ripen in a pod. With more than 20,000 species, the legumes (pulses) are among the most species-rich plants. Popular representatives are peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, mung beans and soybeans. They are considered almost everywhere as an important staple food. That's no wonder, because their inner values are impressive. Legumes are among the plants with the highest protein content. In addition, they contain plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Nevertheless, they were neglected in Europe for a long time. This was mainly due to the fact that meat had become a status symbol in many places in the 19th century. Beans, lentils and the like, on the other hand, were regarded as the food of the poor people. At most, legumes were used as side dishes in rich bourgeois families.
In recent years, however, a change in thinking has started. For the vegetarian and vegan cuisine, the nutritious and versatile legumes are indispensible. But you do not have to become a vegetarian to top off your menu with legumes. Legumes form the basis of many tasty dishes of the Asian, South American and Oriental cuisine.
Anyone wishing to follow a conscious and varied diet will find an extensive range of Organic Legumes at Davert. Mungbeans taste as good in Asian dishes as in local stews. Black beans are the classic of the South American cuisine. Enjoy them as a filling of hearty wraps or in fiery chili pots. Davert Organic Chickpeas are a good basis for patties, deep fried falafel balls and tasty hummus, but also go well with couscous. While Davert Organic Pinto Beans give hearty stews, salads or soups an individual touch, red lentils are one of the staple foods of the Indian cuisine. The different types of ready-to-eat beans in the can are prepared fast and can be combined with freshly cut vegetables. Davert Organic Legumes are very versatile. They are tasty as a spread and as a meat substitute, refine soups and stews, but also provide beautiful splashes of color in salads.
