Overview

Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants harvested exclusively for dry grain. They include dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, lentils, and lupins, but exclude green beans, fresh peas, and oilseeds like soybeans and peanuts. Pulses are dense in protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates, with a mild earthy flavor that varies by variety.

Origin and history

Pulses are among the oldest cultivated crops, with archaeological evidence of lentil and pea domestication in the Near East dating to the early Neolithic period, roughly 8000–6000 BCE [1]. They spread across Europe, Africa, and Asia as a staple protein source, often paired with grains to form complete amino acid profiles. The term “pulse” derives from Latin “puls,” meaning porridge or thick soup, reflecting their long history of use in boiled preparations [1]. The United Nations declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses to promote their nutritional and environmental benefits.

Varieties and aliases

  • Dry beans: pinto, kidney, navy, black, mung, adzuki, fava
  • Dry peas: split yellow, split green, whole green
  • Lentils: red, brown, green, French (Puy), black (beluga)
  • Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): desi (small, dark) and kabuli (large, light)
  • Lupins: bitter and sweet varieties, common in Mediterranean and Andean cuisines
  • Cowpeas (black-eyed peas), pigeon peas, bambara groundnuts

Culinary uses

Pulses are almost always cooked before consumption, typically by boiling, pressure-cooking, or slow simmering. They form the base of soups, stews, curries, and salads across global cuisines: lentil soup in the Middle East, dal in South Asia, feijoada in Brazil, and cassoulet in France. Many pulses are soaked before cooking to reduce cooking time and improve digestibility. They are also ground into flours (besan from chickpeas, bean flours) for fritters, flatbreads, and thickening agents.

Cross-cuisine context

Pulses have no single analogue in any cuisine because they are a broad category, not a specific ingredient. However, in Mexican cuisine, dry beans (frijoles) — pinto, black, and bayo — function as the primary pulse, used whole, refried, or as broth. In Armenian cuisine, pulses appear in the seven-grain filling of pasuts tolma, a Lenten cabbage roll that combines red lentils, chickpeas, and bulgur [3]. In Filipino cuisine, pulses are less central but appear in dishes like tibok-tibok, a carabao milk pudding thickened with starch rather than pulses; the pulse analogue in the Philippines is more commonly mung beans used in sweet porridge (ginataang munggo) [2]. In Korean cuisine, pulses include dried beans used in rice mixtures (kongbap) and fermented pastes (doenjang, made from soybeans, though soybeans are technically not pulses by FAO definition). In Persian cuisine, pulses anchor khoresh (stews) and aash (thick soups), with lentils and split peas being most common.

Notes for cooks

  • Dried pulses double to triple in volume when cooked. One cup dry yields roughly 2.5 to 3 cups cooked.
  • Old pulses take longer to cook and may never fully soften. Buy from high-turnover stores for best results.
  • Do not add salt or acidic ingredients (tomatoes, vinegar) until pulses are fully tender, as acidity can prevent softening.