Traditional food products from Prosopis sp. flour

Abstract

Prosopis genus belongs to leguminous family and to mimosoidea subfamily; include 44 species with great importance in the tree and shrub composition of arid and semiarid regions. Prosopis distribution includes southwest Asia (three native species), tropical Africa (one native species) and America with 40 native species. In the last continent Prosopis is extended through southwest of USA to Argentinean Patagonia and Chile, being Argentina the major center of diversification, with the greatest proportion of endemic species. The great majority of Prosopis species present elevated resistance to drought, extreme temperatures and high salinity content, therefore reforest dessert lands with these species would allow marginalize rural population of the north west of Argentina (NOA) to guarantee their food sovereignty with autochthonous products. Native communities associate "algarrobo" pods and their products to their origins and identity. This crop is used as food ingredient for different products. "Patay" is a sweet compacted product made with fine and dried flour, "aloja" is an ancient autochthonous alcoholic fermented beverage of sweet taste and "arrope" is a dark and dense liquid like honey that is obtained by cooking grinded algarroba pods with water during several hours, process in which sugars are concentrated. Prosopis alba flour is also commonly used in bakery products.