Opinion article by Marta Wilton Vasconcelos, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Biotechnology/CBQF of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

As Christianity spread, a diet of great frugality was promoted: symbolically and explicitly against extravagance and greed.

Legumes are an integral part of the Portuguese diet and are precious sources of ecosystem services. Archaeological findings show that the first human consumption of legumes dates back to before 10,000 BC.

In the Neolithic era, the cultivation of cereals came first, but soon after came the legumes. The Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations grew and fed on many different types and varieties of legumes.

Read the article in full here.