In the United States, green seeds are sometimes roasted like peanuts. The roots are eaten in Sudan and Ethiopia. Scorched seeds are occasionally used as a coffee substitute. Peduncles are retted for fiber in northern Nigeria. Crop used to some extent as pasturage, especially for hogs, and may be used for silage, for which it is usually mixed with corn or sorghum.
Crop is very useful as a green manure, and leafy prostrate cvs reduce soil erosion.
Folk Medicine Cowpeas are sacred to Hausa and Yoruba tribes, and are prescribed for sacrifices to abate evil and to pacify the spirits of sickly children. 1.4 g fat, 61.0 g total carbohydrate, 5.4g fiber. Although much variation occurs, cowpeas are deficient in cystine, methionine, and tryptophan. Fe, 0.35 mg thiamine, 0.18 mg riboflavin, 1.1 mg niacin, and 36 mg ascorbic acid. Digestibility is improved by grinding the seeds into a fine powder.