Beans are a staple part of diets across the world, and a great source of fibre, minerals and protein. This is due to the fact that many beans are actually seeds, and therefore contain all the nutrients a plant needs to grow, and are great for a healthy human body as well.
Black Beans – many beans are simply different varieties of the seeds of the common bean, phaseolus vulgaris – and the black bean is no exception. Native to the Americas, the black bean is often used as a food source across the Latin world, and is known to western diets because of the Mexican-American black bean burrito. Also called the ‘black turtle bean’ because of its hard shell, it is a favourite of vegetarians and vegans because of its meaty texture.
Kidney Beans – Kidney beans, named for their resemblance to the human kidneys, are larger than their black bean cousins, often used in chilli-con-carne either with or without ground meat. Strangely – they can be very toxic – but it’s an issue dealt with by the canning process, which pre-cooks the beans before they reach supermarkets.
Pinto Beans – Pinto beans derive their name from the Spanish word for ‘painted’ as it describes their spotted colour. They’re commonly used in refried beans as a side dish or a burrito filling, and have been used as a meatless meal, when combined with rice and corn tortillas, in places where meat is expensive.
Navy Beans – These white beans are well known to British palates, as the traditional bean used in baked beans in tomato sauce – often served on toast with plenty of butter. They’re also used in southern cooking in the United States, as well as Boston baked beans. While their white colour seems to contradict their name, it’s actually derived from the fact that they were often served to sailors.
Those are just four types of beans eaten around the world, and we should probably seek to introduce more of them into our diets – its fortunate for us then they have many delicious uses!
