Tarwi

CHopcca Village Stay
Originally uploaded by forbesfarmer

Tarwi is a domesticated Lupine which has been grown in the Andes since Incan times or before. It is awesome to see the wild Lupines that these were developed from. This legume is a crucial part of Andean agriculture and all farmers know its value in crop rotation (restoring nitrogen). Tarwi is also incredibly high in Protein (they say higher than meat. I have never seen it outside Peru and it is a really cool plant.
It is said that the Incans and their predescessors in the area domesticated more plant species for agriculture than any other group in the history of the world (over 70 species!). If you are interested, there is a great book called, ¨The Lost Crop of the Incas¨