Legume
Lupinus albus
A tier
Lupinus albus is white lupin—the large pale Mediterranean bean behind classic pickled lupini snacks and many sweet-lupin flour streams. Seeds are flat, cream-coloured, and naturally alkaloid-bitter until debittered by long soaking and brining or until sweet cultivars are used. Species-true albus dominates Italian lupini and Iberian bar beans. Never eat bitter seed without proper processing. Flour from sweet albus is high-protein and gluten-free with a mild beany-nutty taste. Allergen cross-reactivity with peanuts matters for labelling.
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History
White lupins were cultivated in Mediterranean and Nile agriculture.
Pickled L. albus lupini became Italian and wider Mediterranean feast food.
Sweet albus breeding reduced alkaloids for safer food and feed uses.
Albus flour entered gluten-free and high-protein specialty markets.