Promoting the consumption of beans native to the Basque Country through germination

2024-04-03

In a food landscape where culinary traditions are being challenged by global influences and modern diets, the GERMILEK project has been launched to promote and increase interest in beans that are native to the Basque Country. 

Legumes, such as the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), have traditionally been an essential source of nutrients throughout the world and especially in the Mediterranean region. However, in recent years we have seen a decline in their consumption.

Besides being partly due to globalisation, this drop in consumption can also be attributed to other factors, such as the presence of anti-nutritional compounds in legumes, including trypsin inhibitors, lectins, phytates, polyphenols and oligosaccharides, which can have a negative impact on their nutritional value and popularity as a food. Moreover, the poor digestibility of this type of legume may also have played a role in falling consumption. However, science has shown that traditional methods such as soaking, germination and fermentation can reduce these undesirable compounds, opening up new avenues to improve the nutritional quality of legumes. 

In this respect, germination is an especially simple yet promising technique. This physiological process, in which the seedling emerges from the protective seed coats, could significantly improve the nutritional profile of legumes while improving their digestibility and taste. 

Therefore, the GERMILEK project is focused on developing an innovative process based on the germination of three varieties of beans with the Eusko Label quality seal: the Álava pinto bean, the Tolosa bean and the Gernika bean. This approach combines traditional methods with cutting-edge techniques to improve both the quality and accessibility of beans native to the Basque Country. By analysing the nutritional and physicochemical parameters at each stage of the process, the project aims to observe how levels of certain anti-nutritional compounds are reduced and determine the bioaccessibility of proteins through protein hydrolysis.  

This project, led by the LEARTIKER technology centre, has received funding from the Basque Government's BERRIKER 2023 programme - Grants for research, development and innovation in the agricultural, forestry, fishery and aquaculture sectors in the Basque Country in 2023. GERMILEK's goal is to transform food production in the region, but it also plans to launch a new line of canned products made from legumes, with the hope of not only preserving the authenticity of local varieties, but also promoting their consumption through a range of products. 

GERMILEK marks a positive step towards encouraging healthy diets and promoting local produce. This blend of tradition and innovation demonstrates that science and gastronomy can come together to create a more nutritious and sustainable future for everyone.