Black-eyed pea
The dried seed of the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), a small cream-coloured bean with a dark 'eye' at the hilum, sold in bags in the dried-goods aisle. Soaked briefly and boiled soft, it has a mild, slightly mealy bite and gives damp-season soups body and quiet bean sweetness, classically alongside peanuts, papaya or chicken feet.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · spleen、kidney
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy black-eyed bean is used to strengthen the spleen, dispel dampness and ease water retention, a staple of the springtime damp-weather pot.
Cautions: read first
- Keep to a moderate amount if you bloat easily or feel stuck and gassy.
- Only easy to digest once cooked right through.
Preparation
Soak for 30 to 60 minutes.
Origin
Widely grown across the southern provinces of China (native to Africa, long since naturalised in China). Australian retail stock is labelled American-grown ('American White Eyebrow Beans')
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
