I Flew to Bangkok to Learn More About the New Superfood for Millennials: Pulses 

I flew to Bangkok, Thailand to learn more about the new “superfood” for millennials – Pulses. I  first learned about pulses and their benefits when I attended the 2016 International Year of Pulses in Manila. 

Food trends are becoming more and more interesting. From pistachio, quinoa and kale, pulses are now becoming more popular. They are very healthy and versatile that you can eat and/or mix them with our usual favorite dishes – and that is exactly what we experienced during our 2-day trip in Bangkok where we were treated to  (as @mjdeleon puts it) Pulse-ating Food Feast.

What are Pulses?

Pulses are dry peas, lentils, chicken peas, and edible beans like kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans and black beans. Pulses are part of the Legumes family like peanuts and soy. They are packed with protein, fiber and essential nutrients. They good food alternative to meat and uses less water during production which makes it more environment-friendly.

The USA is one of the top exporters of pulses, which are healthy, nutritious, and easy to cook with. Pulses also help decrease greenhouse gases, increase soil health,
and use less water than other crops

During the 2-day event, we attended lectures, cooking demo, hands-on cooking class and ate a lot of pulses with other Southeast Asian Bloggeres/Influencers. 

You may not be aware that everyday, we are probably consuming pulses through snacks (which is really a great news!) 💪💪💪

Let me share with you the learnings, experiences and photos during the trip: 

Get yourself familiar with the variety of Pulses Snacks 

Truly, millennials are shaping food trends and eating habits. What do millennials want for their food? We want healthy and convenient food that is high in protein and dietary fiber. We want products that are organic, all-natural and clean. Preferably gluten-free and has ethnic and authentic flavors. 

Eating pulses in daily doses may seem a little too intimidating, but really, what we need is “to add a little pulse” in every meal. 

How we enjoyed Pulses? 

Ways to Cook Pulses 

There are so many ways to enjoy pulses. We have discovered new ways to incorporate pulses in food that we take everyday and favorite cuisines to indulge in. 

Here are the ways we enjoyed pulses during our 2-day trip in Bangkok. 

We first had a dinner at Indulge Asian Fusion Restaurant, a top-rated restaurant in Bangkok with serves conventional and new fusion flavors. 

Black Eyed Bean Cucumber Mint Salad 

Sweet Potato and Chickepea Hummus with Salsa Verde Chicken

Panseared Salmon with Green Pea Mash

This is so good! First time to really enjoy and finish a salmon plate 

For dessert, we had something really interesting!

Nutella Stuffed Poached Pear with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

I am not really into sweets but I got to finish the plate (not just the fruits!)

Beer and Snacks Pairing

For the most people who love drinking beer (I do, socially), they love something to munch in between talks and gulps. The US Pulses products are good snacks to serve. I love the crunch and variety of flavors to temper the bitter-sweet taste of beer. 

BBQ Durian lentil Meat Balls

This felt like yam but I like the sauce

@iamacesome rocking the kitchen

with my love @mjdeleonblogs

At night, we had 9-course dinner in Liu, Conrad Bangkok Hotel featuring 4 dishes cooked/prepared with pulses. 

Vloggers from Indonesia @captainruby and @shegario
So nice to know that they are also friends with my friends from Indonesia Trip of Wonders

Influencers from Thailand
@HappyKulchaya and @TinaLovesFitness (she’s body goals!) 😍

The dinner was attended by Deputy Chief of Mission Peter Haymond. 
It was an honor to be part of this event. 

We were served with really good and interesting food like this Double Boiled Blackened Chicken with Chinese herbs and chickenpeas. 

After the dinner, I was feeling so great-full  😁

So probably, you are asking.. 

Will Pulses Make You Feel Bloated and Gassy?

I personally try to stay away from beans or anything that would make me gassy and bloated (especially when traveling). But I learned that it is the preparation that make beans and pulses produce substance that make one feel bloated. 

How to Prepare Beans “to remove gas”?

Soak the beans for 8 hours and do not add salt. After soaking, pour of the water and use fresh water for cooking. 

Ways to prepare beans and soak US Pulses?

There are 2 ways: Cold Soaking and Hot Soaking. 

Cold Soaking or Traditional Method: soak US pulses with room temperature water, overnight. Ratio of 3 part water to 1 part US pulses. 

Hot Soaking: used when you forgot to soak the US pulses the night before. Cover beans with water and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and soak for 2 hours. Discard water and use fresh water for cooking. 

When to add ingredients when cooking beans/US pulses?

There are critical ingredients that you must know when cooking beans/US pulses. Add these ingredients after the beans become tender: pickled condiments, tomato-based products like ketchup, tomato paste, and wine. 

So maybe you would ask…

How does it feel like eating US Pulses for 2 days?

Well, I took a break from Keto Diet during this trip, and I love how each meal felt filling. I didn’t really feel bloated during this trip and I still got to follow my normal (morning) routine. 

I love how visually enticing, delicious and healthy each meal is. I cannot wait to share the recipes with mom. 💓

Eating healthier and helping the planet are becoming more easier now with different choices like US Pulses. 

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