The Colors of Dried Beans

Back to the Dried Beans Menu Depending on what part of the world you come from legumes may be called beans, peas, legumes, dahls, lentils or pulses. Over 14,000 species of the Fabaceae family (formerly called leguminusae) exist--but only some 20 are actually grown in any quantity as a human food. Because legumes are easy to grow and store, they have been a staple food for many thousands of years. Archeological evidence shows that legumes are among the oldest agricultural crops known to mankind. They have been found in Egyptian tombs and are frequently mentioned in the Bible. Beyond their nutritional value, they play an important role in agricultural crop rotation programs because they produce nitrogen as they grow. (Grains, in comparison, deplete the soil of nitrogen.) White Beans Boston Baked Beans, or Great Northern Beans: In 1620, Pilgrims copied Indian squaws who were cooking these beans with deer fat and onions in clay pots. They added pork fat and brown sugar. White beans are called Cannelli in Italy. These big, white beans are probably native to Argentina. They have a nutty flavor and are often used in Pasta e fagioli. Haricot in France, because they're the mature, dried white pod of the French haricot vert, or green bean. Other names include Small Whites, Navy, and White kidney beans Red Or Pink Beans Kidney beans, also used in Pasta e fagioli Pinto beans (when they're streaked with brownish pink). "Pinto" is the Spanish word for "painted"--same as the horse that carry similar markings. Cranberry beans--the photo negative of pintos, they're pink with beige streaks and also turn all pink when they're cooked. Italians call them borlotti or saluggia beans. Other names include, Chili beans, Mexican beans, red beans and Pink beans (when they're light colored). Black Beans Black beans, or frijoles negro: They are big, kidney shaped, and shiny, with a white seam. They're made into traditional soups in Cuba, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and Spain--and have a slightly mushroomy flavor. Other names include Black Turtle, Mexican black, Spanish black bean. Heritage Brown Beans Swedish beans because of their popularity in Scandanavian countries. They are small, oval, and brown. Flageolets are immature kidney beans, picked when young, that are adored by the French. They're tender, a pastel green, with a light, fresh taste. Adzuki (phaseolus angularis), native to China and Japan for millennia, are bush beans with pizazz--small, thick skinned, reddish-brown, with a thin white seam. They have a nice nutty