When a food chemist team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering in Freising and from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern received the prestigious German Future Prize in 2014 from the then Federal President Joachim Gauck, a murmur went through the world of meat substitutes. Finally, no more rainforests have to cut down for soybean mass production?

For thousands of years people have known that the lupines, which grow well all over Germany, such as peas, beans or lentils, are part of the legumes and can supply high-quality protein with their seeds. Unfortunately, they taste like swine.

This poor quality drove the award-winning researchers of gene selection already a good deal more bearable, agriculturally well usable "blue sweet lupine" with a new process completely. Two years after the award ceremony, nothing seemed to stand in the way of the triumph of "German soy" with the launch of "Lupino AG". Meanwhile, the offensive but got stuck. "Lupino" has disappeared, and the Fraunhofer spin-off "Pro Lupine" focuses more on raw materials for the food industry such as egg substitutes for the production of vegan ice cream and baked goods.

photo gallery


6 pictures

Recipe for Lupine Sliced: Vegan and sustainable

Too bad that the development of solidified forms such as Schnitzel, Burgerpatties or Geschnetzeltes from this plant on the spot occurs. Because sweet lupine seeds are a more complete food than soy. And it is also sustainable, because new methods of lupine fractionation, such as those developed by "Pro Lupine", extract up to 90 percent of the important nutrients from the seeds of the Blaubliher.

After tofu or seitan-like products such as "Lopino" could not prevail in the market, the organic markets are now as good as "filet", "gyros" or "burgers" of the Palatine company "Purvegan" under the Label "alberts" supplied. The price is roughly equivalent to organic beef goulash (about 18 € / kg), but only delivers 26 percent protein.

Meat substitute from Dr. Ing. Frankenstein's food kit

Also, the list of ingredients reads much more natural than that of conventional meat substitutes based on soy protein concentrates ("Rügenwalder"), milk protein ("Valess") or mushroom proteins ("Quorn"), in which the complete kit of carrageenan, sodium alginate, calcium acetate, potassium lactate and polyphosphate over methylcellulose, colorants and flavorings to ammonium bicarbonate is unpacked.

The lupine fillets, which are well-suited for further processing in all kinds of dishes (breadcrumbs, crickets, pretzels, etc.), are almost completely made from organic ingredients with sweet lupine seeds, wheat protein, spices, vegetables and herbs and have an agreeably delicate basil note as the main flavor feature. Like all other vegan experiments, they are not carnivorous or aromatic in any way as a "meat substitute". After all, they take on the savory roast in the pan but tasty, strong Maillard roasted aromas.

Of course that does not make the lupus a steak for a long time. They are for Fleischverneiner but a nice change from Halloumi & Co. on the grill and also for omnivores an interesting alternative in Indian curries or Sauerkraut Schnetzel dishes such as our today's hobby recipe for a quick "Lupinengeschnetzeltes with red quinoa". The latter, in contrast to the yellow "Inkagold", does not tend to swell during cooking, has a more nutty flavor, adds enough of the Schnetzelsoße as an accompaniment and has a long-lasting satiety effect with its comparatively complex carbohydrates.

For allergic persons, however, the proteins of the lupins, which are also called wolf- or cowpeas, can be problematic because they are one of the most common causes of food allergies, often as cross-reactions with peanuts. In France, lupine products rank fourth in the order of foods that have led to anaphylactic reactions. Therefore, in the EU, the use of lupins in packaged foods must be declared.