Cowpea

A legume, Vigna unguiculata, also known as the black-eyed pea or southern pea, domesticated in Africa, with the crop's wild relatives and greatest genetic diversity concentrated in West Africa, though the precise center of domestication remains debated among researchers. Cowpea is a major source of dietary protein across Sub-Saharan Africa, notably in Nigeria, the world's largest producer, valued for its tolerance of heat and drought and its ability to fix nitrogen in poor, sandy soils where many other legumes struggle. The crop is also widely grown in parts of Asia, the Caribbean and the southern United States, where it is commonly known as the black-eyed pea.