Alfalfa

Alfalfa is usually eaten as young sprouts: rinse them and scatter a small handful over sandwiches, salads or soups just before serving. Their mild, fresh taste works well with crisp vegetables and creamy dressings.

Yes. Stir them through a hot stir-fry for the final minute or add them to a filling just before taking it off the heat; prolonged cooking makes them limp. For a raw topping, rinse them under running water and drain well.

Keep fresh sprouts refrigerated in a clean, covered container and use them promptly. If they become slimy, smell sour or look discoloured, discard them; don’t leave them at room temperature for long.

Their mild crunch pairs well with cucumber, tomato, avocado, hummus and egg. Add them to a sandwich, wrap or salad at the end so they stay crisp.

Alfalfa is the plant; alfalfa sprouts are its seeds after germination, harvested as tender shoots. Sprouts are usually eaten fresh, while mature alfalfa is mainly grown as animal fodder.

Soak sprouting seeds, drain them, then keep them in a clean sprouting jar or tray and rinse and drain them regularly as they grow. Use seeds sold for sprouting, keep the equipment scrupulously clean, and cook the sprouts if you want to reduce food-safety risk.

A 100 g portion of alfalfa provides 1.6 g of protein. Sprouts are often eaten as a small topping rather than as a main protein food.