Mesquite flour

), a tree that grows throughout Mexico and the southwestern US in arid and drought-prone climates.

The flour made from the long, beige-colored seedpods has a sweet, slightly nutty flavor and can be used in a wide variety of applications.

It has a high-protein, low-glycemic content and can serve as a gluten-free replacement for flours that contain gluten.

[1] In the past, indigenous Americans relied on mesquite pods as an important food source.

[3] It also contains significant quantities of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and the amino acid lysine.