Cicerchia, a legume with a millenary history

The grass pea is an ancient and nutritious legume that almost disappeared from our tables, also due to false beliefs. In recent decades, the legume has been recovered thanks to the rediscovery work of young farmers in Italy.

1) Grass pea, the oldest legume in the world

The grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a plant belonging to the family of Leguminosae. It has an irregular, angular and flattened shape and a color ranging from gray to light brown. It is a microthermal crop (autumn-winter) considered a model for sustainable production thanks to its peculiar characteristics, such as: (1)

• low production inputs, compared to the main cultivated food species,
• ability to adapt to marginal soils characterized by, for example, low temperatures, various soils and climates, resistance to insects and diseases, and tolerance to water stress,
• higher yields, more efficient nitrogen fixation and greater salt tolerance, compared to other legumes,
• high protein content for the production of food and feed.

These characteristics make it an exceptional crop to counteract the adverse effects of climate change. Some seed banks, such as the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens in England, consider it among the priority crops to be employed to face new climate-related challenges. (2)

The grass pea It is widely cultivated and spread in South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and various Mediterranean regions. Its origin is attributed, despite uncertainties, to the Balkan areas of present-day Bulgaria and former Yugoslavia, where the first domestication occurred between 6,000 and 7,000 BC, but it was subsequently introduced to many other areas, including Italy. There are older archaeological evidences in Iran (9500 BC) and in India between 1500-2000 BC.

2) The tradition in Italy

A treatise published by the National Research Center (CNR) highlighted the importance that the crop had in Italy in the past, especially in the rural area of the South. However, its distribution and consumption have drastically decreased, to the extent that it disappeared from official Italian statistics starting from the 1970s.

The reasons The most accepted hypotheses include the association of the grass pea with a poor food, consumed by a low social class (at the time) such as the Italian peasants, followed by the development of collective well-being and a general change in eating habits, as well as the modernization of agricultural production with the use of high input which are not economically compatible with this type of crop.

3) Properties of the grass pea

The nutritional value of the grass pea is quite significant, with a protein content of up to 35% and carbohydrates between 48-52.3%. It is the only food source of the amino acid L-homoarginine, which contributes to the mitigation of various cardiovascular problems, hypoxia, Alzheimer’s, and several memory-related issues. The presence of glutathione and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), with antioxidant action, various B vitamins, vitamin A, along with the pro-vitamin β-carotene, and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, is appreciable.

The beta form oxalyl diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) is a neurotoxin responsible for the onset of so-called lathyrism, characterized by muscle atrophy or paralysis of the lower limbs in severe cases, in humans and animals. To avoid these adverse effects, it is sufficient to avoid a predominant and consecutive consumption of grass pea, and to soak legumes well (taking care to change the water several times) and cook them properly. The selection and improvement of varieties with low or zero β-ODAP content is a further contributor toits reduction, as well as cultivation in appropriate agronomic conditions (e.g. presence of zinc in the soil).

β-ODAP It is also present in the roots of the ginseng plant, and is marketed for pharmaceutical purposes for the treatment of hemorrhages and thrombopoiesis, so much so that it is used in the formulation of some toothpastes to prevent gum bleeding. This is to demonstrate that neurotoxic effects are dose-dependent, showing how a risk factor can instead present itself as an opportunity for use as a crop for medical and pharmaceutical purposes.

4) Grass pea as a Slow Food presidium

, con lo sviluppo dell’industria e lo spopolamento delle campagne, la cicerchia venne sostituita da legumi più redditizi e che richiedono meno lavoro. Solo negli ultimi decenni alcuni giovani agricoltori italiani hanno riscoperto questo prezioso legume donando nuova vita e dignità al legume grazie anche al sostegno dei presidi Slow Food., with the development of industry and the depopulation of the countryside, the grass pea was replaced by more profitable legumes that require less work. Only in recent decades have some young Italian farmers rediscovered this precious legume, giving new life and dignity to the legume thanks also to the support of Slow Food presidia.

4.1) The Grass Pea of Serra de’ Conti

, a Serra de’ Conti, un piccolo paesino italiano delle Marche in provincia di Ancona, un gruppo di giovani sente l’urgenza di salvare dal dimenticatoio alcuni prodotti enogastronomici. Tra questi, c’è un varietà di cicerchia che, rispetto alle altre, presenta una forma più piccola, una buccia poco coriacea e un sapore più dolce. Necessita inoltre di meno tempo di ammollo (sono sufficienti 5 ore) e di cottura, circa 40 minuti., in Serra de' Conti, a small Italian village in the Marche region in the province of Ancona, a group of young people feel the urgency of saving some food and wine products from oblivion. Among these, there is a variety of grass pea which, compared to the others, has a smaller shape, a less leathery skin and a sweeter flavour. It also requires less soaking time (5 hours are enough) and cooking time, about 40 minutes.

, la cicerchia veniva seminata in primavera, tra il granturco insieme a fagioli e ceci e veniva raccolta ad agosto. Le piante riunite in fasci venivano appese a seccare al sole e poi battute nelle aie. La cicerchia può essere impiegata per arricchire zuppe e minestre, oppure trasformata in crema, come il macco di cui spesso ha sostituito le fave. Oppure macinata per ricavarne farina per maltagliati e pappardelle. (5), the grass pea was sown in spring, among the corn together with beans and chickpeas and was harvested in August. The plants gathered in bundles were hung to dry in the sun and then beaten in the threshing floors. The grass pea can be used to enrich soups and stews, or transformed into cream, like macco of which it has often replaced the broad beans. Or ground to obtain flour for maltagliati and pappardelle. (5)

4.2) The Moco of the Bormida Valleys

Since 2012 A process has begun by Slow Food for the protection and dissemination of another variety of grass pea, the moco. Its hardiness has allowed it to grow even in the gullies of the Bormida valley, in Liguria, and to resist weeds without the need for chemical interventions. Tradition holds that it is sown by hand on the hundredth day of the year, at the beginning of April. When the pods are ready, in mid-July, harvesting takes place in the early hours of the day to prevent the pods from opening.

The plants They are grouped into small 'sheaves' stored in the shade of barns to allow drying. Threshing will take place on the first Sunday of August, which coincides with the feast of the moco. The remains of the plants will be returned to the fields as fertilizers. The seed requires a 24-hour soaking before being used in the dishes mentioned above as well as in two traditional dishes: farinata baked in a wood oven and panissa fried or cut into cubes with cherry tomatoes and spring onions. (6)

5) Connection with the territory

The 'disappearance' of the chickling vetch in the custom of Italian eating habits has not allowed obtaining recognition as a protected designation of origin (PDO) or a protected geographical indication (PGI). Instead, it has been registered as a traditional agri-food production (PAT) in the following Italian regions:

• Apulia, where the chickling vetch is also known as Fasul a gheng, Cicercola, Cece nero, Ingrassamanzo, Dente di vecchia, Pisello quadrato,
• Lazio, including the chickling vetch of Campodimele,
• Sardinia, where it is also known as Sardinian chickling vetch,
• Umbria,
• Emilia-Romagna,
• Marche,
• Molise.

In Abruzzo, Marche and Molise the cicerchiata is also present in the PAT list, a carnival sweet made with shortcrust pastry balls that resemble the shape of the chickling vetch (but do not contain it), and coated with honey.

Conclusions

The grass pea is a versatile legume rich in beneficial nutritional properties for our health. Its growth does not require much water nor the help of herbicides and pesticides. It also has a fertilizing action on soils through nitrogen-fixing activity. Introducing this legume into our diets contributes to our health and the development of more sustainable agricultural practices.

Alessandra Mei and Andrea Adelmo Della Penna

Notes

(1) Gonçalves L. et al. (2022) Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus L.)—A Sustainable and Resilient Answer to Climate Challenges. Agronomy 12(6):1324, https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12061324

(2) V. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:501990-1

(3) Polignano G. et al. (2017). Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) A traditional crop to be rediscovered. Monograph or scientific treatise, 2017 ITA. CNR https://publications.cnr.it/doc/375230

(4) Ramya K.R. et al. (2022) Rediscovering the Potential of Multifaceted Orphan Legume Grasspea – a Sustainable Resource with High Nutritional Value. Front. Nutr. 8:826208, https://doi.org/10.3389/frutto.2021.826208

(5) Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity Onlus. Grasspea Serra de’ Conti. https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/cicerchia-di-serra-de-conti/

(6) Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity Onlus. Moco of the Bormida Valleys. https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/moco-delle-valli-della-bormida/