World Pulses Day

10 February is World Pulses Day, a UN date that falls right in the season when spoon dishes are most in demand. Here is where it comes from, what FAO says, and which dishes from our recipe collection are for the day.

What World Pulses Day is

The UN General Assembly designated 10 February as World Pulses Day, and FAO facilitates its observance with governments, the private sector and young people. It is a fixed date: in 2027 it falls on a Wednesday and in 2028 on a Thursday. It is not a national or regional public holiday, and no events are obligatory. It serves to put the spotlight on a food that almost always goes unnoticed.

Who declared it and where it comes from

The day builds on the 2016 International Year of Pulses, which the UN proclaimed with resolution 68/231 and which FAO led. The success of that year was the starting point for the day. Its resolution is 73/251, which invites FAO to facilitate the observance, and the UN’s page attributes the proposal to Burkina Faso. FAO defines pulses as the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for human and animal consumption.

The 2026 theme and what FAO says

The 2026 theme was “Pulses of the world: from modesty to excellence”. FAO accompanied it with an exhibition that could be seen from 10 February to 10 March 2026. On its website it talks about pulses that keep for a long time in the pantry and help reduce losses and waste, that improve the soil by fixing nitrogen, and that provide work for rural women and young people. That is the farming side of the day, and we leave it there; the kitchen side is up to us.

Valencian spoon dishes for the date

Six dishes from our recipe collection are for the day:

• Rice with beans and turnips, the spoon dish made with rice.
• The rice with Swiss chard and white beans, a spoon rice with no meat.
• The olleta de músic from Alcoy, with Villena beans (fesols), chard stalks, turnip, pork rib, offal and onion black pudding; no rice or pumpkin.
• Blat picat, which is an olleta made with cracked wheat instead of rice and needs soaking the day before.
• The cocido with pelotas from the Vega Baja, with soaked chickpeas and pelotas (meatballs) cooked for at least two hours.
• The olla gitana from the Vega Baja, with chickpeas and seasonal vegetables.

Our main article on the history of Valencian cuisine puts them in their place: the olleta with the nit dels músics, and the cocido with pelotas with the tables of feast days and Christmas in the Vega Baja. In the glossary, garrofó is the one in paella, a bean of American origin.

How to celebrate as a group

A spoon dish goes a long way and is made with time, which is the good thing about a group meal. If you would like one for a celebration or a corporate event, tell us how many you are and when, and get a quote. We cook from Aspe and serve the Vinalopó and surrounding area.

More dates in the calendar

Take a look at the full calendar, with the International Day of the Mediterranean Diet on 16 November and World Paella Day.