Lupinus mutabilis

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Common products:
Edible seed (chocho or tarwi), seed flour, seed oil.

Industrial and craft applications:
Research/model organism: a legume reference for nitrogen fixation, nodulation genetics, and comparative Leguminosae genomics; used in studies on symbiotic signaling, mycorrhizal interactions, and seed storage protein expression. Model populations have been developed to support breeding and genomic analyses.

Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Seeds are consumed after extensive leaching to remove bitter alkaloids; traditional processing includes soaking and boiling, followed by fermentation or drying. Seed flour is used in baking and as a protein supplement; seed oil is edible for cooking and frying. Fermentation uses as a substrate for biomass or protein production are documented in scientific literature.

Colorants and tanning:
No specific colorants or tanning uses are documented for this taxon.

Wood and fiber:
No documented timber or fiber uses.

Fragrance and cosmetics:
No documented fragrance or cosmetic uses are specifically attributed to this species.

Properties relevant to use:
Seeds are protein-rich (≈40–50% protein) and oil-rich (≈16–25% oil). The oil is notable for a relatively high oleic acid content and a favorable unsaturated fatty acid profile. Seeds contain alkaloids (lupinine, sparteine, etc.) that require removal for food uses; breeding has produced low-alkaloid (“sweet”) cultivars. Flour has gluten-like foaming and emulsifying properties useful in baking.

Standards and regulation:
No specific ISO/ASTM/EN standards are identified for chocho seed, flour, or oil. Traditional domestic use as a food legume in Andean countries implies compliance with national food safety and labeling regulations, but no dedicated regulatory standards are recorded in the scientific literature cited.

Sustainability and sourcing:
Grown in Andean highland agroecosystems; recognized as a source of locally adapted, protein-rich seed and for its role in legume crop diversification for sustainable cropping systems. Wild-type forms with bitter alkaloids require specific breeding or selection to produce edible cultivars; agricultural extension in Andean countries emphasizes cultivar choice and seed processing.

No subspecies added yet.

No variety added yet.

No subvariety added yet.

No forms added yet.

No germination or propagation data was added yet.

No distribution data was extracted from POWO/KEW yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

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