lupin

Etymology

From Middle English lupyne, lupine, from Old French lupin, from Latin lupīnus (“pertaining to the wolf”). The reason for association of the plant with the wolf is the wolf-like “fang” within the blossom. It has also been linked to an assumed depletion of nutrients in the soil.

noun

1. Any member of the genus Lupinus in the family Fabaceae.
   Lupins had been introduced into German agriculture in 1841 and had rapidly become a popular and useful feed for sheep as well as being used as a green manure plant for increasing soil fertility in poor-quality, sandy soils. 1991, R. F. Keeler, Handbook of Natural Toxins: Toxicology of Plant and Fungal Compounds, CRC Press, page 371
2. A lupin bean, a yellow legume seed of a Lupinus plant (usually Lupinus luteus), used as feed for sheep and cattle and commonly eaten in the Mediterranean area and in Latin America although toxic if prepared improperly.
   Lupins contain less than 3% starch (Evans, 1994), the main fermentable carbohydrate involved in rumen acidosis when cereal grains are fed to ruminants. For this reason lupins have generally been regarded as a completely safe feed for sheep and cattle, and required no gradual introduction (Rowe, 1995). 1998, Tam Garland, A. Catherine Barr, Toxic Plants and Other Natural Toxicants, CABI, page 143
   Lupins, although a bean, are similar to olives aesthetically, and are equally good with breakfast. The trick is first to soak them overnight until rehydrated, then boil them for a few hours like any bean. They will not soften. Then soak them again, changing the water every day for several weeks until the bitterness is gone. 2010, Ken Albala, Rosanna Nafziger Henderson, The Lost Art of Real Cooking: Rediscovering the Pleasures of Traditional Food One Recipe at a Time, Penguin