Draft:Outline of beans

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to beans:

A bean is the seed of plants in many genera of the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are sold fresh or preserved through drying (a pulse). Beans have been cultivated since the seventh millenium BCE in Thailand, and since the second millennium BCE in Europe and in Peru. Most beans, with the exception of peas, are summer crops. As legumes, the plants fix nitrogen and form seeds with a high protein content. They are produced on a scale of millions of tons annually in many countries; India is the largest producer.

What type of things are beans?

Beans can be described as all of the following:

• A type of food
  • Edible seeds that are commonly used in various cuisines around the world.
    • A type of legume: seeds collected from certain flowering plants in the Fabaceae family.
• Plant material

Types of beans

• Adzuki bean – small red bean popular in East Asian cuisine.
• Anasazi bean – cream-colored kidney-shaped bean with red spots, often used in Mexican dishes.
• Appaloosa bean
• Asparagus bean
• Black bean – widely used in Latin American cuisine, known for its high protein content.
  • Black adzuki bean
• Black turtle bean
• Black-eyed pea – legume native to West Africa, a staple in Southern U.S. cooking.
• Bolita bean
• Cannellini bean – large white kidney bean, often used in Italian dishes.
• Chickpea (Garbanzo bean) – used in Middle Eastern dishes like hummus and falafel.
• Cocoa bean – used to produce chocolate.
• Coffee bean – seeds from coffee plants, essential for coffee production.
• Cranberry bean – known for its use in Italian cuisine, has a nut-like flavor.
• Fava bean – also known as broad beans, used in Mediterranean cooking.
• Lima bean – flat-shaped beans often used in succotash and other dishes.
• Navy bean – small white beans commonly used in baked beans and soups.
• Pinto bean – commonly used in Mexican cuisine, known for its creamy texture when cooked.
• Soybean – high-protein legume used for oil, tofu, and other products.

History of beans

History of beans

Methods of cooking

• Techniques for cooking different types of beans
  • Soaking
  • Boiling
  • Pressure cooking
• Popular dish types that may feature beans
  • Chili
  • Soup
  • Salad
  • Stew

Bean-related organizations

• US Dry Bean Council
• Ontario Bean Growers
• Bean Institute

Bean-related publications

• The Bean Book – a comprehensive guide to growing and cooking with beans.
• Beans: A History – explores the cultural significance of beans throughout history.

Persons influential in beans

• George Washington Carver – known for his work with peanuts and crop rotation that included legumes like beans.

See also

• Legume
• Outline of agriculture
• List of legumes

References

External links