FoodFood InformationSides
The legume family which all beans, peas, lentils,and peanuts are a part
of is one of the largest in the plant kingdom. Because of this and the many
thousands of years of development and cultivation that man has given them,
the variety of edible legumes available to us is huge. Both the appearance
and the names of legume varieties are colorful and varied. The color of
the beans can range from a clean white, to deep red, dull green to flat
black with thousands of mixtures and patterns of colors.
There are two types of beans: pod beans and shell beans. In the ones known
as pod beans, the entire pod and the inner seed (which is called a bean)
are consumed. Pod beans are harvested prior to reaching maturity. In the
shell beans, only the inner bean is used and the outer pod is discarded.
Peas also come in two types. In one only the inner seed (called a pea) is
used and the pod is inedible; in the other the entire pea, pod as well as
seed, is used.
In spite of this incredible variety of names and colors, legumes are largely
interchangeable in cooking usage, though some dishes just wouldn't be the
same if a different type was used.
ORIGIN
Black beans, broad beans, haricot, lima or butter beans, pink, pinto, and
red kidney beans originated in South America. Lentils are from the Mediterranean;
black-eyed beans/cowpeas from Africa; pigeon peas from Africa or India;
soybeans and azukis from China; chickpeas (garbanzos) and mung beans (green
gram) from India and ful medames or brown beans from Egypt.
NUTRITION
There are few non-animal foods that contain the amount of protein that is
to be found in dried beans, peas, and lentils. The varieties commonly available
in this country have protein contents that range from 20%-35%. As with most
non-animal proteins, they are not complete in themselves for purposes of
human nutrition, but become so when they are combined with the incomplete
proteins found in grains. It is for this reason that grains and legumes
are so often mentioned together. In cultures all over the world, it is common
to find the two served together at a meal, making a complete protein, even
when those doing the serving have no understanding of nutrition at all.
Preparing Beans
Many people avoid beans and other legumes because of their reputation for
producing gas. Studies show that people who eat beans frequently experience
this problem less. The body seems to adapt. Beans and lentils can be
made more digestible by following these tips:
* soak them for eight hours before cooking;
* boil them for 30 minutes and then change the water;
* change the soaking water several times;
* add salt and acidic ingredients such as tomatoes after cooking.
Other notes: Lentils cook very quickly due to their size. Black
beans tend to bleed very darkly when cooked so they are not well suited
to being combined with other beans.
Most legumes are available twelve months of the year. France is the world's
largest exporter of all pulses (beans, peas, lentils but excluding
peanuts), followed by the US and then China . When beans, lentils or peas
are split they are known as dal.