What Are Pulses? The Food EVERYONE Will Talk About in 2016

POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry
POPSUGAR Photography | Nicole Perry

The UN announced 2016 to be the Year of Pulses (FYI, they declared 2013 to be the Year of Quinoa), but what the heck are pulses? Yes, the word is actually defined in the dictionary, but to put it in the simplest terms, pulses are dry, edible seeds of legumes. While all pulses are technically legumes, the differentiating factor is that not all legumes are harvested to be dried. Fresh legumes like green peas, green beans, and soybeans or legumes harvested for oil extraction (like soybean) aren't classified as pulses. Confused yet? Don't worry! We have a list of the most commonly found pulses from the American Pulse Association. And when in doubt, remember if it's a dry, edible pea, bean, lentil, or chickpea, then it's probably a pulse.

Here's what that list includes:

Dry Peas
Split and/or whole green
Split and/or whole yellow

Beans
Adzuki
Black
Black-eyed pea
Dark red kidney
Light red kidney
Great Northern
Navy
Pinto
Fava
Small red
Mung
Baby lima
Large lima
Cranberry
Pink

Lentils
Regular
Red chief
Pardina
Richlea
Black

Chickpeas
Kabuli
Desi