Pacay
(Inga feuillei, Paqay, Paccai, Pa’qaya, Pacay, Pacae, Pacay de Peru, Guama, Guamo, Pois sucre, Inga cipo, Rabo de mico, Guaba, Shimbillo, Food inga, Ice-cream bean)
Indigenous to South America, pacay is a type of leguminous plant with a long tradition of cultivation that is believed to date back to the Incas. The plant also thrives in some parts of Central America, and it continues to be grown today, particularly in the Andean highlands and the coastal region of Peru.
Belonging to the legume family of Fabaceae, the plant is known to yield large, leathery pods that may be straight or arched and are usually dark-green in color. When split open, the pacay pod reveals numerous glossy, dark seeds covered with a whitish, translucent pulp that is edible and has a pleasant, sweet flavor.
Due to this unique flavor of pacay’s pulp, reminiscent of vanilla ice cream, the plant earned the name ice-cream bean tree. Pacay pulp is typically enjoyed fresh as a snack directly from the pod, although it may also be added to various desserts, ice creams, and beverages to provide them with hints of vanilla.
Also known by its scientific name Inga feuillei, pacay hasn’t been grown only as a food source, but also for timber, shade, and its purported health benefits associated with digestion, stomach irritations, and stomach inflammations.
