A legume plant (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) native to India, grown for its seeds which produce guar gum, a thickening agent used in food and industry.
From Hindi guar, the plant's name in the region where it originated; adopted into English in the 19th century as trade in guar gum expanded globally.
Guar gum is in almost everything you eat—ice cream, salad dressing, yogurt—making a humble Indian legume one of the world's most essential food additives!
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