Food science Phd student from UCC, Theresa Boeck, shared that oca, mashua, yacon and fava beans could soon become familiar crops for Irish farmers.
Speaking at a recent Teagasc seminar on innovation pathways for the Irish plant-based food sector using locally sourced ingredients, she also said that oats is now the most popular base ingredient for plant-based milk alternatives in most European countries.
Boeck explained that while there has been a large growth rate in the demand for spelt based products, oat “milk” has overtaken both almond and soya milk in most European counties.
As markets expand, similar growth in demand is expected for plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy, which opens the opportunity for Irish farmers and growers to diversify.
She highlighted legumes such as chickpeas, fava beans, lupins and peas as being increasingly used as plant-based alternatives to both dairy and meat. All four, she said, are well suited to Irish growing conditions.”
Oca is a perennial herbaceous plant similar to potatoes and can be cooked and eaten in the same way, while oca leaves can be eaten with salad.
Mashua is a species of climbing flowering plant which can be cooked and eaten in the same way as most other vegetables, and yacon is a perennial daisy with sweet-tasting roots which is usually eaten raw with salad.
Sinead Fitzsimons, project manager at U-Protein, added that these along with fava (broad) beans are among crops recommended for growth on Irish farms.