Know your Asparagus pea

Know your Asparagus pea - Introduction

The Asparagus Pea (Lotus tetragonolobus) is a tropical legume plant native to Papua New Guinea.
It grows abundantly in hot, humid equatorial countries, from the Philippines and Indonesia to India, Burma, Thailand and Sri Lanka.
It does well in humid tropics with high rainfall. There are also varieties that can be grown in most areas of Europe and USA.
This unusual vegetable has a unique flavour, a bit like a cross between tender asparagus and fresh young peas.
Asparagus Pea is a very pretty plant which looks as good in the flower border as it does in the vegetable plot.

The plant is one of the best nitrogen fixers with nodulation accomplished by the soil bacterium Rhizobium.
Because of its ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, the plant requires very little or no fertilizers.
Being a tropical plant, it is sensitive to frost.
Most plants will not flower if the day length is less than 12 hours, although day length neutral cultivars do exist.
It is very easy to grow and does not require any support.
They prefer a light, well-drained soil in a sunny position and regular watering.
As a member of the legume family, the roots of the plant will fix extra nitrogen into the soil, making it ideal for brassicas the following year.

The small winged pods should be harvested when young, giving a superb flavour akin to Asparagus.
The plant will crop all summer long if picked regularly.
They have brilliant scarlet flowers and need no staking, but the pods are well camouflages and 'hunt the pod' is a fun game for the children.

The young seedpods can be used in the kitchen either raw or cooked. They can be added to salads, lightly steamed as a vegetable and served with a little melted butter, or added to soups, stews etc. The taste is said to resemble asparagus.
Only the very young pods, when less than 2cm (1in) long, should be used, since the older pods quickly turn fibrous.
No flavouring should be used as this will destroy its own delicious taste.
The seedpods of this vegetable are considered by many to be a gourmet food, though it is not a very high yielding crop.
In addition, the seed can be cooked and used like peas.
The roasted seed is said to be used as a coffee substitute, but we have no experience or confirmation of that use.