Mesquite flour is made from the dried and ground pods of the mesquite (some Prosopis spp.), a tree that grows throughout Mexico and the southwestern US in arid and drought-prone climates. The flour made from the long, beige-colored seedpods has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and can be used in a wide variety of applications. It has a high-protein, low-glycemic content and can serve as a gluten-free replacement for flours that contain gluten.[1]
In the past, indigenous Americans relied on mesquite pods as an important food source.[2] The bean pods of the mesquite tree are dried and ground into a flour. This flour is rich in dietary fiber (25%) and protein (13%), and it is low in fat (around 3%).[3] It also contains significant quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and the amino acid lysine.
References
edit- ^ Deborah Small (November 30, 2011). "Native Cultures: Mesquite Flour". Deborah Small's Ethnobotany Blog. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ^ "Honey mesquite". Texas Beyond History. University of Texas at Austin. Archived from the original on August 19, 2010. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Gibson, Sarah; Hands, Rachel; Martinez, Christine (2001). "Mesquite". Medicinal Plants of the Southwest. New Mexico State University. Archived from the original on March 14, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
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