Simplifying a multi-sensory gastronomic experience to identify the culinary potential of legumes: A proof of concept

Abstract

Food scenarios to face climate change and contribute to a better health always involve legumes. However, legumes are under-consumed in France and local production is too low. Pulses are too often considered as sources of protein, whereas they are in fact very diverse whole foods. We've chosen to highlight this diversity with a French gastronomic approach, processing them as little as possible to preserve their excellent environmental impact in the field. The aim is to add value for both the consumer and the producer through the French gastronomic valorization of pulses.

Three starting points guide our approach: (i) a multi-sensory gastronomic experience could change the image of pulses by making them more attractive and contribute to changing consumer behavior, (ii) gastronomic chefs are able to create truly new different recipes, by promoting the diversity of pulses (iii) gastronomic recipes use a variety of culinary techniques, and can be simplified into model foods allowing to test in a systematic way the culinary abilities of pulses. This will lead to identify the unknown culinary qualities required and link these qualities to production factors.