Two types of lupin are produced in Australia, the Australian Sweet Lupin (ASL) and the Albus Lupin, popular in the Middle East and Europe. The ASL is a round with a yellow speckled pigment whereas the Albus Lupin is white with a flattened and oval shape. With Western Australia producing approximately 85% of the world’s lupin, this crop was traditionally used for animal feed however has been a human food ingredient in Australia since 1987.
Main culinary uses of Lupins
- Immature lupin seeds have a similar taste and texture to field peas and can be used as a salad vegetable, in stir fries or for pickling.
- Lupin flour can easily be used to prepare similar foods to the full wheat foods by substituting 5-20% wheat flour with lupin flour in the recipe.
A table comparing the nutrient content of different types of legumes can be downloaded from our Legumes & Nutrition page.