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Home / Kitchen Tips / Pantry Items
18 Types of Beans

Jessica Gavin
Published on May 25, 2020

Beans are so popular, they have a song (you know the one). But what else is there to know about beans, which yes, are technically a fruit? Let’s start by exploring the several different types of beans available.

Different Types of Beans

We call them beans, but their scientific name is Phaseolus vulgaris (no surprise that beans became the prevalent term). Beans are a great source of protein and one of the most commonly eaten foods in the world. One of the great things about beans is that they cross cuisines; they’re a staple in many countries and cultures. Gotta love ‘em for that.

They also come in a ton of varieties — there are about 400 types of beans to be exact. And that’s just what we know is edible. Perhaps the best quality about beans is that even the most novice chef can turn them into a delicious meal. There’s so much you can cook with beans using minimal kitchen skills. As if that wasn’t enough, beans have several health benefits; they’re high in fiber and protein and may help prevent disease.
But first, are legumes beans?

Actually, it’s the opposite. Legumes are defined by the fact that they grow in pods, and beans are simply a type of legume (along with lentils, peas, and even peanuts).
Different types of beans

So let’s dig in. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common types of beans.
Great Northern beans

Great Northern beans

Great Northern beans are white and medium-sized with a mild flavor. They hold their shape well so they can be stewed or used in soups. They are good at absorbing the flavors they’re cooked with, so they can complement a variety of ingredients.

Nutritional profile: Per ¼ cup (dried) — 170 kcal, 11 g of protein, 0.5 g fat, 31 g carbohydrates, 10 g fiber, 1g sugar, 89.8 mg of calcium, 710 mg potassium, 5.1 mg sodium.
Cannellini beans

Cannellini beans

Sometimes called white kidney beans, cannellini beans are the largest type of white bean, which makes them meatier than other white beans like Great Northern beans or navy beans. However, they have a similar mild and nutty flavor. They also hold up well in soups and stews and can be tossed in salads. You may have eaten them in minestrone (but red kidney beans are also common, more on those later).

Nutritional profile: Per ½ cup (cooked, salted) — 100 kcal, 7 g of protein, 0.5 g fat, 20 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 59.8 mg of calcium, 270 mg potassium, 260 mg sodium.
Fava beans

Fava beans

Fava beans are usually found fresh at the farmer’s markets or the produce section; they’re equally bitter and sweet. You can stew them and add to soups, braise, roast, saute, or toss them into pasta. You can also eat them cold in salads. To cook, always blanch them first (after removing from pods) and then continue cooking with your preferred cooking method.

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (in pods, raw) — 111 kcal, 10 g of protein, 0.92 g fat, 22.2 g carbohydrates, 9.45 g fiber, 11.6 g sugar, 46.6 mg of calcium, 163 mg potassium, 31.5 mg sodium.
Fayot (Flageolet) beans

Fayot (Flageolet) beans

Fayot also known and flageolet beans are small, tender, creamy, and mild in flavor. They have a pale green to ivory white color. They are commonly used in French cuisine for salads, soups, and other flavorful side dishes.

Nutritional profile: Per 1/4 cup (raw) — 180 kcal, 10 g protein, 0.5 g fat, 34 g carbohydrates, 22 g fiber, 1.0 g sugar, 59.8 mg calcium, 800 mg potassium, and 0 mg sodium.
Red beans

Red beans

Red beans are small in size, oval in shape and have the characteristic ruby-colored skin. They have a mild flavor, earthy, slightly sweet and nutty, and soft texture. Often used in Caribbean, Latin, Cajun, and Creole cuisine. It’s great for soups, chilis, and dishes like red beans and rice.

Nutritional profile: Per 1/4 cup (dried) — 160 kcal, 10 g protein, 0 g fat, 28 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 1.0 g sugar, 60.1 mg calcium, 513 mg potassium, and 0 mg sodium.
Lima beans

Lima beans

Sometimes also called butter beans, depending on your geography, lima beans are small green beans that look like seeds. They taste grainy but are also known to have a mealy and creamy texture.

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (cooked) — 229 kcal, 14.6 g of protein, 0.69 g fat, 42.4 g carbohydrates, 14 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 52.8 mg of calcium, 730 mg potassium, 5.46 mg sodium.
Mung beans

Mung beans

Mung beans are small, green beans that are soft and mealy when cooked. You can use them in soups and salads, and they go well in stir-fries and casseroles. Typically, you’ll soak mung beans before cooking. They have an impressive list of health benefits. For example, they’re high in protein as well as being nutrient-rich (i.e., potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamin B).

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (cooked, salted, sweetened) — 187 kcal, 12.6 g of protein, 0.68 g fat, 34.3 g carbohydrates, 13.7 g fiber, 3.58 g sugar, 48.6 mg of calcium, 477 mg potassium, 347 mg sodium.
Kidney beans

Kidney beans

Kidney beans are commonly eaten in chili and come conveniently canned. They’re a medium to large bean. Red and white kidney beans (which are also called cannellini beans) are the more common, but with some searching, you can also find purple kidney beans, black kidney beans, and even spotted kidney beans.

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (cooked, salted, sweetened) — 215 kcal, 13.4 g of protein, 1.54 g fat, 37.1 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 4.74 g sugar, 87 mg of calcium, 607 mg potassium, 758 mg sodium.
Navy beans

Navy beans

Navy beans are another type of white bean (similar to Great Northern beans but smaller). They won’t hold their shape as well as Great Northern beans but are still hearty and mealy. They have a creamy texture and taste mild. They are commonly eaten in white beans and rice (a southern dish), navy bean chowder, and Boston-style baked beans. They also taste great in salads and tossed into various pasta dishes.

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (cooked, salted) — 296 kcal, 19.7 g of protein, 1.13 g fat, 53.6 g carbohydrates, 13.4 g fiber, 0.734 g sugar, 123 mg of calcium, 755 mg potassium, 880 mg sodium.
Pinto beans

Pinto beans

If you’ve heard of just one type of bean, this is probably it. Pinto beans are light brown bean, often used to make refried beans or in chili. They are creamy and taste earthy and nutty. They’re a very versatile bean.

Nutritional profile: Per ½ cup (cooked, salted) — 110 kcal, 6.01 g of protein, 0 g fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 8.06 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 62 mg of calcium, 289 mg potassium, 208 mg sodium.
Black beans

Black beans

Black beans are the new pinto beans, similar in taste and texture. They can almost always be swapped in to replace pinto beans when you want to reduce carbohydrate intake. If you have dry black beans, learn how to cook them over the stove.

Nutritional profile: Per ½ cup (cooked, salted) — 120 kcal, 8 g of protein, 1 g fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 5.98 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 40.3 mg of calcium, 360 mg potassium, 350 mg sodium.
Chickpeas (garbanzo)

Chickpeas (garbanzo)

Chickpeas are more round and firm than pinto or black beans. They’re often drained and tossed into salads and used to make hummus. Want to eat them alone? Roasted chickpeas also make a tasty snack.

Nutritional profile: Per ½ cup (cooked, salted) — 160 kcal, 10 g of protein, 2 g fat, 26 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 80 mg of calcium, 310 mg potassium, 290 mg sodium.
Lentils

Lentils

Lentils become soft and creamy when cooked, which is why they can work wonders in soups by adding the right texture. I used them in this red lentil soup. You can find also find green, black, and brown lentils, and they all pack a nutritional punch.

Nutritional profile: Per 1/4 cup (dried) — 100 kcal, 8 g of protein, 0.5 g fat, 23 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 20 mg of calcium, 260 mg potassium, 10.2 mg sodium.
Peas

Peas

Yep, peas are a type of bean. Those little, ground, podded green veggies have been fooling you. As a cheap and versatile veggie, it never hurt to have a bag of frozen peas on hand. I used them in everything from risotto to soup.

Nutritional profile: Per 1/4 cup (dried) — 178 kcal, 11.3 g of protein, 1.9 g fat, 30.3 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 1.5 g sugar, 22.3 mg of calcium, 417.5 mg potassium, 2.45 mg sodium.
Soybeans

Soybeans

Once boiled, soybeans are considered edamame, the popular appetizer you may have ordered at your favorite sushi restaurant. Don’t eat the hull, but the beans inside are chewy with a mild flavor that makes them ideal for eating solo or mixing into salads and pasta.

Nutritional profile: Per 1 cup (cooked) — 296 kcal, 31.3 g of protein, 15.4 g fat, 14.4 g carbohydrates, 10.3 g fiber, 5.16 g sugar, 175 mg of calcium, 886 mg potassium, 1.72 mg sodium.
Black-eyed peas

Black-eyed peas

Black-eyed peas are denser than some other beans, and they have an earthy taste. Texture-wise, they’re comparable to chickpeas and white beans, firm yet soft.

Nutritional profile: Per ¼ cup (dried) — 170 kcal, 12 g of protein, 0.5 g fat, 30 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 55 mg of calcium, 560 mg potassium, 10 mg sodium.
Adzuki

Adzuki

These are a type of red bean (sometimes even referred to generically as red beans). They taste slightly sweet, but like most beans, are nutty and mild. Some people use them in baking, but they also go well with veggies like mushrooms and sweet potatoes that have both savory and sweet qualities.

Nutritional profile: Per ¼ cup (dried) — 162 kcal, 9.78 g of protein, 0.26 g fat, 31 g carbohydrates, 6.25 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 32.5 mg of calcium, 617.5 mg potassium, 2.46 mg sodium.
Anasazi

Anasazi beans are a Southwestern bean, as you may have gathered from the name. Visually, they keep it funky. They’re spotted, red, and cream-colored. They’re a little smaller than pinto beans and black beans but are a similar shape.

Nutritional profile: Per ¼ cup (dried) — 150 kcal, 10 g of protein, 0.5 g fat, 27 g carbohydrates, 9.02 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 59.8 mg of calcium, 340 mg potassium, 0 mg sodium.

*Nutritional information sourced from the USDA FoodData Central [source]. Levels will vary depending on preparation, quantity, brand, and product.
How to store beans

Go ahead, by beans in bulk. Their shelf life is one of the reasons beans are so beloved. You can store them in your pantry for up to a year(find a cool, dry place — you know the drill). Make sure they’re in an airtight container. If they go stale, according to The Bean Institute, adding baking soda may help soften them [source].
Ways to cook beans

First of all, soaking beans is always wise (either overnight in room-temp water or for an hour in hot water); it will help reduce the starches that can upset your stomach.

Avoid cooking dried beans in a slow cooker, as the low heat isn’t enough to kill the toxins. Canned beans, however, are already cooked, so no worries there. They just need to be heated. To cook dried beans, simmer them on the stove or use your Instant Pot.
How much does 1 cup of dried beans yield (cooked)?

One cup of dried beans will result in about 2 to 3 cups of cooked beans. It varies for different types of beans.
Try these recipes:

Couscous Salad with Chickpeas
The Best Instant Pot Chili
Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Filed under: Kitchen Tips Pantry Items

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Jessica Gavin

I'm a culinary school graduate, cookbook author, and a mom who loves croissants! My passion is creating recipes and sharing the science behind cooking to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.
Jessica's Secrets: Cooking Made Easy!
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14 Comments
Leave a comment or review

Judy Caywood

May 25, 2020 at 8:53 am

Oh good to know about all the beans. Thank you Jessica. My kids grew up on pinto beans and homemade buns or bread. My oldest son told me he gets so hungry for mine. I promised next time he visits I’ll make a big pot. My mom always made baked beans in a brown pot that cooked for hours in the oven. She can’t remember how she made them and I was suppose to get the bean pot but it disappeared. I’d sure like to know how she made them and have the pot to bake them in. XO have a wonderful day. Judy
Reply

Jessica Gavin

May 25, 2020 at 11:38 am

Lucky kiddos Judy! I have a baked beans recipe if you are ever looking for one.
Reply

Vikash kumar

August 7, 2020 at 7:21 pm

Really very 👏nice👏
Reply

Rezacheri

September 7, 2020 at 12:24 pm

Hey Jessica.
I haven’t known there are a variety of beans out there. Thanks a lot. Your article is informative and yummy ;)). I think your cooking is great as your writing skill.
Good luck. 👌👍👍👍😊
Reply

Jessica Gavin

September 8, 2020 at 7:20 pm

Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I can’t wait to hear what bean you try next.
Reply

mn

December 27, 2020 at 7:36 pm

good article. thanks
last Anasazi beans has no picture, what happen

Terri Rowe

May 25, 2020 at 9:30 am

Interesting to read about them Jessica. When I arrived in the States 40 years ago , there was a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco that served a wonderful loaf made of adzuki beans. Do you have any loaf recipes that could be made using these beans. I would love to e able to recreate it

Terri
Reply

Jessica Gavin

May 25, 2020 at 11:37 am

Hi Terri- How interesting! Do you know what the bread was called? I don’t have any specific recipes with beans but I think you could add it to my Irish soda bread or homemade dinner rolls.
Reply

Jackie

May 25, 2020 at 12:45 pm

Jessica:

Actually the Anasazi beans are more striated than spotted. They do have spots mixed in with the striations but they are not just spotted. We live in New Mexico and they are a wonderful bean. My husband and I collect about 12 to 15 types of beans and then just mix them all together. They make a great pot of beans and when making chili the chili is fantastic.

We also do something else different with our chili is to make it soupier instead of making it. It is then a conduit for crushing crackers in the Chili or adding Cheese in the Chili. Or both. My husband loves it with just the crackers, I like it with just the cheese and eating the crackers on the side and our children like in their own way. I don’t use Chili powder in it because some of us can’t eat it but I use a Hungarian Paprika that gives it a tang but does not tear everyone’s stomach up.
Reply

Jessica Gavin

May 26, 2020 at 11:55 am

Thank you for your insight into the Anasazi bean, Jackie! Great tips on how to use a mixture of beans and make chili even more delicious! I can’t wait to try it.
Reply

Anna Jean Cresswell

June 5, 2020 at 11:01 am

Hello, Jessica. Thank you for ALL you do in giving me great recipes. I have made a number of recipes from your website and always found them easy to make and enjoyable to eat.
In any discussion of beans, NO ONE ever mentions MOTH BEANS. An Indian friend (and vegetarian) eats them because they are so high in protein. Each 1/2 cup (100 g) these beans contain 22 g of PROTEIN and provides 90% of daily iron needs.
Reply

Jessica Gavin

June 9, 2020 at 5:12 pm

Thank you for sharing insights on moth beans Anna! I’ve never heard of them before, now I must try!
Reply

William Parker Sr.

June 16, 2020 at 11:27 am

75 years old, Live in Florida, was raised in West Virginia , As a kid, (In the 1950’s) My Grand Dad and I had October Beans and eggs every morning for breakfast, (Cranberry Beans)) I still do, Love your site, Grand Dad passed in 1959, at the age of 91. Love all beans.
Reply

Jessica Gavin

July 11, 2020 at 3:49 pm

That breakfast sounds lovely, what a wonderful memory!
Reply

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A bean is the seed of one of several genera of the flowering plant family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food.[1] They can be cooked in many different ways,[2] including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes throughout the world.
Contents

1 Terminology
2 Cultivation
3 History
4 Types
5 Properties
5.1 Nutrients
5.2 Antinutrients
5.3 Flatulence
5.4 Health concerns
5.4.1 Toxins
5.4.2 Bacterial infection from bean sprouts
6 Production
7 See also
8 References
9 Bibliography
10 External links

Terminology

The word "bean" and its Germanic cognates (e.g. German Bohne) have existed in common use in West Germanic languages since before the 12th century,[3] referring to broad beans, chickpeas, and other pod-borne seeds. This was long before the New World genus Phaseolus was known in Europe. After Columbian-era contact between Europe and the Americas, use of the word was extended to pod-borne seeds of Phaseolus, such as the common bean and the runner bean, and the related genus Vigna. The term has long been applied generally to many other seeds of similar form,[3][4] such as Old World soybeans, peas, other vetches, and lupins, and even to those with slighter resemblances, such as coffee beans, vanilla beans, castor beans, and cocoa beans. Thus the term "bean" in general usage can refer to a host of different species.[5]
Local bean from Nepal.

Seeds called "beans" are often included among the crops called "pulses" (legumes),[3] although a narrower prescribed sense of "pulses" reserves the word for leguminous crops harvested for their dry grain.[citation needed][clarification needed] The term bean usually excludes legumes with tiny seeds and which are used exclusively for forage, hay, and silage purposes (such as clover and alfalfa). The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defines "BEANS, DRY" (item code 176)[5] as applicable only to species of Phaseolus. However, in the past, several species, including Vigna angularis (adzuki bean), V. mungo (black gram), V. radiata (green gram), and V. aconitifolia (moth bean), were classified as Phaseolus and later reclassified, and general usage is not governed by that definition.[6][failed verification][7][failed verification]
Cultivation
Field beans (broad beans, Vicia faba), ready for harvest

Unlike the closely related pea, beans are a summer crop that needs warm temperatures to grow. Legumes are capable of nitrogen fixation and hence need less fertiliser than most plants. Maturity is typically 55–60 days from planting to harvest.[8] As the bean pods mature, they turn yellow and dry up, and the beans inside change from green to their mature colour.[clarification needed] As a vine, bean plants need external support, which may take the form of special "bean cages" or poles. Native Americans customarily grew them along with corn and squash (the so-called Three Sisters),[9] with the tall cornstalks acting as support for the beans.

In more recent times, the so-called "bush bean" has been developed which does not require support and has all its pods develop simultaneously (as opposed to pole beans which develop gradually).[10] This makes the bush bean more practical for commercial production.
Bean creeper
History
The Beaneater (1580–1590) by Annibale Carracci
Baked beans on toast (with egg)

Beans are one of the longest-cultivated plants. Broad beans, also called fava beans, in their wild state the size of a small fingernail, were gathered in Afghanistan and the Himalayan foothills.[11] In a form improved from naturally occurring types, they were grown in Thailand from the early seventh millennium BCE, predating ceramics.[12] They were deposited with the dead in ancient Egypt. Not until the second millennium BCE did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the Aegean, Iberia and transalpine Europe.[13] In the Iliad (8th century BCE) there is a passing mention of beans and chickpeas cast on the threshing floor.[14]

Beans were an important source of protein throughout Old and New World history, and still are today.

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in Guitarrero Cave, an archaeological site in Peru, and dated to around the second millennium BCE.[15] However, genetic analyses of the common bean Phaseolus show that it originated in Mesoamerica, and subsequently spread southward, along with maize and squash, traditional companion crops.[16]

Most of the kinds commonly eaten fresh or dried, those of the genus Phaseolus, come originally from the Americas, being first seen by a European when Christopher Columbus, while exploring what may have been the Bahamas, found them growing in fields. Five kinds of Phaseolus beans were domesticated[17] by pre-Columbian peoples: common beans (P. vulgaris) grown from Chile to the northern part of what is now the United States, and lima and sieva beans (P. lunatus), as well as the less widely distributed teparies (P. acutifolius), scarlet runner beans (P. coccineus) and polyanthus beans (P. polyanthus)[18] One especially famous use of beans by pre-Columbian people as far north as the Atlantic seaboard is the "Three Sisters" method of companion plant cultivation:

In the New World, many tribes would grow beans together with maize (corn), and squash. The corn would not be planted in rows as is done by European agriculture, but in a checkerboard/hex fashion across a field, in separate patches of one to six stalks each.

Beans would be planted around the base of the developing stalks, and would vine their way up as the stalks grew. All American beans at that time were vine plants, "bush beans" having been bred only more recently. The cornstalks would work as a trellis for the beans, and the beans would provide much-needed nitrogen for the corn.

Squash would be planted in the spaces between the patches of corn in the field. They would be provided slight shelter from the sun by the corn, would shade the soil and reduce evaporation, and would deter many animals from attacking the corn and beans because their coarse, hairy vines and broad, stiff leaves are difficult or uncomfortable for animals such as deer and raccoons to walk through, crows to land on, etc.

Dry beans come from both Old World varieties of broad beans (fava beans) and New World varieties (kidney, black, cranberry, pinto, navy/haricot).

Beans are a heliotropic plant, meaning that the leaves tilt throughout the day to face the sun. At night, they go into a folded "sleep" position.
Types
Types of beans in a supermarket

Currently, the world genebanks hold about 40,000 bean varieties, although only a fraction are mass-produced for regular consumption.[19]
Beans, average, canned, sugarfreeNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 334 kJ (80 kcal)
Carbohydrates

10.5 g
Fat

0.5 g
Protein

9.6 g

Units
μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams
IU = International units

†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Some bean types include:

Vicia
Vicia faba (broad bean or fava bean)

Vicia faba or broad beans, known in the US as fava beans

Phaseolus
Phaseolus acutifolius (tepary bean)
Phaseolus coccineus (runner bean)
Phaseolus lunatus (lima bean)
Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean; includes the pinto bean, kidney bean, black bean, Appaloosa bean as well as green beans, and many others)
Phaseolus polyanthus (a.k.a. P. dumosus, recognized as a separate species in 1995)
Vigna
Vigna aconitifolia (moth bean)
Vigna angularis (adzuki bean)
Vigna mungo (urad bean)
Vigna radiata (mung bean)
Vigna subterranea (Bambara bean or ground-bean)
Vigna umbellata (ricebean)
Vigna unguiculata (cowpea; also includes the black-eyed pea, yardlong bean and others)
Cicer
Cicer arietinum (chickpea or garbanzo bean)
Pisum
Pisum sativum (pea)
Lathyrus
Lathyrus sativus (Indian pea)
Lathyrus tuberosus (tuberous pea)
Lens

Lentils
Lens culinaris (lentil)
Lablab
Lablab purpureus (hyacinth bean)

Hyacinth beans

Glycine
Glycine max (soybean)
Psophocarpus
Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (winged bean)

Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (winged bean)

Cajanus
Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea)
Mucuna
Mucuna pruriens (velvet bean)
Cyamopsis
Cyamopsis tetragonoloba or (guar)
Canavalia
Canavalia ensiformis (jack bean)
Canavalia gladiata (sword bean)
Macrotyloma
Macrotyloma uniflorum (horse gram)
Lupinus (lupin)
Lupinus mutabilis (tarwi)
Lupinus albus (lupini bean)
Arachis
Arachis hypogaea (peanut)

Properties
Nutrients

Beans are high in protein, complex carbohydrates, folate, and iron.[20] Beans also have significant amounts of fiber and soluble fiber, with one cup of cooked beans providing between nine and 13 grams of fiber.[20] Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol.[21]
This figure shows the grams of fiber and protein per 100 gram serving of each legume. The size of the circle is proportional to its iron content. From this view, lentil and kidney beans contain the most and soybeans and peas have the least nutrients per serving.

The Canadian government recommends that adults have up to two (female), and three (male) servings. 3/4 cup of cooked beans provide one serving.[22]
Antinutrients

Many types of bean[specify] contain significant amounts of antinutrients that inhibit some enzyme processes in the body. Phytic acid and phytates, present in grains, nuts, seeds and beans, interfere with bone growth and interrupt vitamin D metabolism. Pioneering work on the effect of phytic acid was done by Edward Mellanby from 1939.[23][24]
Flatulence
See also: Baked beans § Flatulence

Many edible beans, including broad beans, navy beans, kidney beans and soybeans, contain oligosaccharides (particularly raffinose and stachyose), a type of sugar molecule also found in cabbage. An anti-oligosaccharide enzyme is necessary to properly digest these sugar molecules. As a normal human digestive tract does not contain any anti-oligosaccharide enzymes, consumed oligosaccharides are typically digested by bacteria in the large intestine. This digestion process produces gases such as methane as a byproduct, which are then released as flatulence.[25][26]

Processing the beans, such as by boiling, soaking, cooking, can leach the indigestible sugars from the beans and significantly reduce, if not entirely eliminate the problem. In addition enzyme pills are available.[citation needed]
Health concerns
Toxins
Main articles: Phytohaemagglutinin and Soybean agglutinin

Some kinds of raw beans contain a harmful, tasteless toxin: the lectin phytohaemagglutinin, which must be removed by cooking. Red kidney beans are particularly toxic, but other types also pose risks of food poisoning. A recommended method is to boil the beans for at least ten minutes; undercooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans.[27]

Cooking beans, without bringing them to a boil, in a slow cooker at a temperature well below boiling may not destroy toxins.[27] A case of poisoning by butter beans used to make falafel was reported; the beans were used instead of traditional broad beans or chickpeas, soaked and ground without boiling, made into patties, and shallow fried.[28]

Bean poisoning is not well known in the medical community, and many cases may be misdiagnosed or never reported; figures appear not to be available. In the case of the UK National Poisons Information Service, available only to health professionals, the dangers of beans other than red beans were not flagged as of 2008.[28]

Fermentation is used in some parts of Africa to improve the nutritional value of beans by removing toxins. Inexpensive fermentation improves the nutritional impact of flour from dry beans and improves digestibility, according to research co-authored by Emire Shimelis, from the Food Engineering Program at Addis Ababa University.[29] Beans are a major source of dietary protein in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.[30]
Bacterial infection from bean sprouts

It is common to make beansprouts by letting some types of bean, often mung beans, germinate in moist and warm conditions; beansprouts may be used as ingredients in cooked dishes, or eaten raw or lightly cooked. There have been many outbreaks of disease from bacterial contamination, often by salmonella, listeria, and Escherichia coli, of beansprouts not thoroughly cooked,[31] some causing significant mortality.[32]
Production
Lablab bean and bean flower cultivated in West Bengal, India
Main article: Legume § Production

The production data for legumes are published by FAO in three categories:

Pulses dry: all mature and dry seeds of leguminous plants except soybeans and groundnuts.
Oil crops: soybeans and groundnuts.
Fresh vegetable: immature green fresh fruits of leguminous plants.

The following is a summary of FAO data.[33]
Production of Legumes (million metric tons) crops
[FAO code][34] 1961 1981 2001 2015 2016 Ratio
2016 /1961 Remarks
Total Pulses (dry) [1726] 40.78 41.63 56.23 77.57 81.80 2.01 Per capita production had decreased.
(Population increase was 2.4 ×)
Oil crops (dry)
Soybeans [236] 26.88 88.53 177.02 323.20 334.89 12.46 Drastic increase driven by the demand for animal feeds and oil.
Groundnuts, with shell [242] 14.13 20.58 35.82 45.08 43.98 3.11
Fresh vegetables (80 - 90% water)
Beans, green [414] 2.63 4.09 10.92 23.12 23.60 8.96
Peas, green [417] 3.79 5.66 12.41 19.44 19.88 5.25

Main crops of "Pulses, Total (dry)" are "Beans, dry [176]" 26.83 million tons, "Peas, dry [187]" 14.36 million tons, "Chick peas [191]" 12.09 million tons, "Cow peas [195]" 6.99 million tons, "Lentils [201]" 6.32 million tons, "Pigeon peas [197]" 4.49 million tons, "Broad beans, horse beans [181]" 4.46 million tons. In general, the consumption of pulses per capita has been decreasing since 1961. Exceptions are lentils and cowpeas.
Bean flower in Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Top producers, Pulses,Total [1726][35]
(million metric tons) Country 2016 Share Remarks
Total 81.80 100%
1 India 17.56 21.47%
2 Canada 8.20 10.03%
3 Myanmar 6.57 8.03%
4 China 4.23 5.17%
5 Nigeria 3.09 3.78%
6 Russia 2.94 3.60%
7 Ethiopia 2.73 3.34%
8 Brazil 2.62 3.21%
9 Australia 2.52 3.09%
10 USA 2.44 2.98%
11 Niger 2.06 2.51%
12 Tanzania 2.00 2.45%
Others 24.82 30.34%

The world leader in production of Dry Beans (Phaseolus spp).[36] is Myanmar (Burma), followed by India and Brazil. In Africa, the most important producer is Tanzania.[37]
Top ten Dry Beans (Phaseolus spp) producers—2013
Country Production
(tonnes) Footnote
Myanmar 3,800,000 F
India 3,630,000
Brazil 2,936,444 A
People's Republic of China 1,400,000 *
Mexico 1,294,634
Tanzania 1,150,000 F
United States 1,110,668
Kenya 529,265 F
Uganda 461,000 *
Rwanda 438,236
World 23,139,004 A

No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data, C = Calculated figure A = Aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates)

Source: UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)[38]
See also

iconFood portal iconAgriculture and Agronomy portal

Baked beans
List of bean soups
Fassoulada – a bean soup
List of edible seeds
List of legume dishes

References

"Beans and peas are unique foods | ChooseMyPlate". www.choosemyplate.gov. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
Clark, Mellisa. "How to Cook Beans". New York Times Cooking. New York Times. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster[page needed]
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, archived from the original on 25 September 2015, retrieved 3 May 2016.
"Definition And Classification Of Commodities (See Chapter 4)". FAO, United Nations. 1994.
Merriam-Webster BEAN
Encyclopedia Britannica Bean
Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko (1 October 2013). Early Named Soybean Varieties in the United States and Canada: Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center. ISBN 9781928914600. Retrieved 18 November 2017 – via Google Books.
Schneider, Meg. New York Yesterday & Today. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781616731267. Retrieved 18 November 2017 – via Google Books.
"The Germination Of a Bean" (PDF). Microscopy-uk.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Kaplan, pp. 27 ff
Gorman, CF (1969). "Hoabinhian: A pebble-tool complex with early plant associations in southeast Asia". Science. 163 (3868): 671–3. Bibcode:1969Sci...163..671G. doi:10.1126/science.163.3868.671. PMID 17742735. S2CID 34052655.
Daniel Zohary and Maria Hopf Domestication of Plants in the Old World Oxford University Press, 2012, ISBN 0199549060, p. 114.
"And as in some great threshing-floor go leaping From a broad pan the black-skinned beans or peas." (Iliad xiii, 589).
Chazan, Michael (2008). World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways through Time. Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 978-0-205-40621-0.
Bitocchi, Elena; Nanni, Laura; Bellucci, Elisa; Rossi, Monica; Giardini, Alessandro; Zeuli, Pierluigi Spagnoletti; Logozzo, Giuseppina; Stougaard, Jens; McClean, Phillip; Attene, Giovanna; Papa, Roberto (3 April 2012). "Mesoamerican origin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is revealed by sequence data". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 109 (14): E788–E796. doi:10.1073/pnas.1108973109. PMC 3325731. PMID 22393017.
Kaplan, p. 30: Domestication, besides involving selection for larger seed size, also involved selection for pods that did not curl and open when ripe, scattering the beans they contained..
Kaplan, p. 30
Laura McGinnis and Jan Suszkiw, ARS. Breeding Better Beans. Agricultural Research magazine. June 2006.
Mixed Bean Salad (information and recipe) from The Mayo Clinic Healthy Recipes Archived 15 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed February 2010.
Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. MayoClinic.com (17 November 2012). Retrieved on 2012-12-18.
"How Many Food Guide Servings of Meat and Alternatives Do I Need? - Canada.ca". Hc-sc.gc.ca. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
Harrison, DC; Mellanby, E (October 1939). "Phytic acid and the rickets-producing action of cereals". Biochem. J. 33 (10): 1660–1680.1. doi:10.1042/bj0331660. PMC 1264631. PMID 16747083.
Ramiel Nagel (26 March 2010). "Living With Phytic Acid - Weston A Price". The Weston A Price Foundation. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
Harold McGee (2003). Food and Cooking. Simon & Schuster. p. 486. ISBN 978-0684843285. "Many legumes, especially soy, navy and lima beans, cause a sudden increase in bacterial activity and gas production a few hours after they're consumed. This is because they contain large amounts of carbohydrates that human digestive enzymes can't convert into absorbable sugars. These carbohydrates therefore leave the upper intestine unchanged and enter the lower reaches, where our resident bacterial population does the job we are unable to do."
Peter Barham (2001). The Science of Cooking. Springer. p. 14. ISBN 978-3-540-67466-5. "we do not possess any enzymes that are capable of breaking down larger sugars, such as raffinose etc. These 3, 4 and 5 ring sugars are made by plants especially as part of the energy storage system in seeds and beans. If these sugars are ingested, they can't be broken down in the intestines; rather, they travel into the colon, where various bacteria digest them – and in the process produce copious amounts of carbon dioxide gas"
"Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: Phytohaemagglutinin". Bad Bug Book. United States Food and Drug Administration. Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
Vicky Jones (15 September 2008). "Beware of the beans: How beans can be a surprising source of food poisoning". The Independent. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
Shimelis, Emire Admassu; Rakshit, Sudip Kumar (2008). "Influence of natural and controlled fermentations on α-galactosides, antinutrients and protein digestibility of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)". International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 43 (4): 658–665. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01506.x. ISSN 1365-2621.
Summary: Fermentation 'improves nutritional value of beans' (Sub Saharan Africa page, Science and Development Network website). Paper: Influence of natural and controlled fermentations on α-galactosides, antinutrients and protein digestibility of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
"Sprouts: What You Should Know". Foodsafety.gov. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
"Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC): Update on outbreak in the EU (27 July 2011, 11:00)". European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017.
FAO STAT Production /Crops
see Legume#Commodity Classification
all legumes dry
Dry Beans does not include broad beans, dry peas, chickpea, lentil
FAO Pulses and Derived Products

"Major Food And Agricultural Commodities And Producers – Countries By Commodity". Fao.org. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.

Bibliography

Kaplan, Lawrence (2008). "Legumes in the History of Human Nutrition". In DuBois, Christine; Tan, Chee-Beng; Mintz, Sidney (eds.). The World of Soy. NUS Press. pp. 27–. ISBN 978-9971-69-413-5. Retrieved 18 December 2012.

External links
Look up bean in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beans.

Everett H. Bickley Collection, 1919–1980 Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
Discovery Online: The Skinny On Why Beans Give You Gas
Fermentation improves nutritional value of beans
Cook's Thesaurus on Beans

Authority control Edit this at Wikidata

LCCN: sh85075877 NARA: 10647796 NDL: 00567427

Categories:

Edible legumesPod vegetablesStaple foodsVegan cuisineVegetarian cuisineCropsPlant common names

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