lathoúri

Lathyrus sativus or the Indian pea or grass pea, which grows in areas subject to drought. It has been cultivated in Greece since Neolithic times and is still grown in a few places—notably on the slopes of Mount Parnassos. It is rich in protein (Greeks generally boil it and prepare it like yellow peas or fáva), but over-consumption can cause a neurodegenerative disease called lathyrism—which is why consumption was long banned in Spain.

Historically it has been planted as a back-up crop, in case all else fails. Lathoúrí helped many rural Greeks survive the famine during World War Two.