Pod Mesocarp Flour of North and South American Species of Leguminous Tree<i>Prosopis</i>(Mesquite): Composition and Food Applications

Abstract

Flour from the mesocarp of pods of the tree legume known as mesquite (Prosopis spp.) in North America or algarrobo in South America was one of the most important food staples for desert people. Contemporary milling techniques produce a flour similar to that of indigenous peoples that is about 40% sucrose, 25% dietary fiber, and that has a variety of volatiles, such as 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, γ-nonalactone, methyl salicylate, and 5,6-dihydro-6-propyl-2H-pyran-2-one, that contribute to a chocolate and coconut-like aroma. Flour made from the mesocarp contains no stachyose or raffinose, sugars that are responsible for flatulence in other legumes. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses of sugar (sucrose) and citric, malic, and ascorbic acids found considerable ranges in acid/sugar ratio that may be responsible for the wide variations in organoleptic perception. Due to the absence of gliadin, peanut, and soy allergens, the flour is useful in gluten-free formulations. Optimum concentrations for incorporation ranged from 5% for biscuits, 10% for breads, 15% for pancakes/muffins, and 50% in chapatti and drum-dried wheat flour. At these concentrations, considerable browning occurs, which is generally considered to be desirable.