Peas and beans have never been my favourite vegetables - that particular accolade goes to braised red cabbage, followed closely by honey roasted parsnips.
But they have certainly gone up in my estimation following what amounted to three hours of "hard sell" at the PGRO (Processors and Growers Research Organisation) in Cambridgeshire last Friday (29 Jan).
Speaker after speaker sung the praises of peas and beans, making the attendees wonder what the world would be like without them.
PGRO chief executive Salvador Potter described them as the "ultimate break crop", fixing nitrogen and clearing up weeds and other pests.
Nutritionist Judith Buttress explained how pulses counted towards the "five-a-day" target and were especially good at providing fibre and iron...
Food consultant Chris Anstey said peas and beans offered "integrity" as a sustainable ingredient that would appeal to consumer conscious food manufacturers.
Amy Peterson of Coeliac UK - a charity for people suffering from Coeliac disease - explained how pea flour was a useful alternative to wheat flour for people requiring a gluten-free diet.
And seed breeder Milika Buurman said there was lots of genetic variability within existing pea stock to allow for breeding for all manner of desirable characteristics - including pea flour.
It was clear from all this that the humble pea (and bean) could indeed have a very bright future, especially as more novel uses are developed.
But then, during the lunch break, I had a conversation with a farmer and a processor that rather burst that bubble.
The processor explained that, while using pea flour for things like biscuits and batters was physically easy, the fact was that it was about five times more expensive than normal flour and the economics did not stack up.
And the farmer said that, despite their appeal for fixing nitrogen, pulses did not really fit onto the rotation on his farm because they did not deliver the margin of other alternative crops.
I was left with the impression that the problem the sector faces is a marketing one. Pulses have a good story to tell and it should be possible to expand the market by developing the range of uses.
Indeed, Chris Anstey listed ten novel uses for peas and beans, from starches in pasta to improving the texture of low fat sausages.
But, he explained, until someone starts producing pulse-based raw materials on a sufficient scale, they are always going to be too costly and will remain a niche product for food manufacturers.
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