Culinary Raw mature broad beans are 11% water, 58%
carbohydrates, 26%
protein, and 2%
fat. A 100-gram reference amount supplies of
food energy and numerous
essential nutrients in high content (20% or more of the
Daily Value, DV).
Folate (26% DV), and
dietary minerals, such as
manganese,
phosphorus,
magnesium, and
iron (range of 52–77% DV), have considerable content.
B vitamins have moderate to rich content (19–48% DV). Broad beans present the highest protein-to-carbohydrate ratio among other popular pulse crops, such as chickpea, pea and lentil. Moreover, their consumption is recommended along with cereals as both foods are complementary in supplying all
essential amino acids. Broad beans are generally eaten while still young and tender, enabling harvesting to begin as early as the middle of spring for plants started under glass or overwintered in a protected location, but even the main crop sown in early spring will be ready from mid to late summer. Horse beans, left to mature fully, are usually harvested in the late autumn, and are then eaten as a
pulse. The immature pods are also cooked and eaten, and the young leaves of the plant can also be eaten, either raw or cooked as a
pot herb (like spinach). Preparing broad beans involves first removing the beans from their pods, then steaming or boiling the beans, either whole or after
parboiling them to loosen their exterior coating, which is then removed. The beans can be fried, causing the skin to split open, and then salted and/or spiced to produce a savory, crunchy snack.
Algeria In south Algerian cuisine, broad beans are used to make
besarah and
doubara. Doubara is popular in the city of
Biskra.
China In the
Sichuan cuisine of China, broad beans are combined with
soybeans and
chili peppers to produce a spicy fermented bean paste called
doubanjiang.
Colombia Broad beans (Colombia: Haba(s)) are a common food in most regions of Colombia, mostly in Bogota and Boyacá.
Ecuador Steamed broad beans (known as
habitas) with cheese is common in the cold-weather regions of Ecuador, especially around the Andes mountains and surroundings of Ambato.
Egypt Broad beans (Egyptian Masri: ''
) are a common staple food in the Egyptian diet, eaten by rich and poor alike. Egyptians eat broad beans in various ways: they may be shelled and then dried, or bought dried and then cooked in water on very low heat for several hours. They are the primary ingredient in Egyptian-style falafel (unlike the Levantine style, where the primary ingredient is chickpeas). The most popular way of preparing them in Egypt is by taking the cooked and partially mashed beans and adding oil, salt, and cumin to them. The dish, known as ful medames'', is traditionally eaten with bread (generally at
breakfast) and is considered one of Egypt's
national dishes.
Ethiopia Broad beans () are one of the most popular legumes in
Ethiopia. They are tightly coupled with every aspect of Ethiopian life. They are mainly used as an alternative to peas to prepare a flour called
shiro, which is used to make
shiro wot (a stew used widely in Ethiopian dishes). During the fasting period in the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church tradition called
Tsome Filliseta, Tsome arbeå, Tsome Tahsas, and
Tsome Hawaria (which are in August, end of February, April, mid-November, beginning of January, and June–July), two uncooked spicy vegetable dishes are made using broad beans. The first is
hilibet, a thin, white paste of broad bean flour mixed with pieces of onion, green pepper, garlic, and other spices. The second is
siljo, a fermented, sour, spicy thin yellow paste of broad bean flour. Both are served with other stews and
injera (a pancake-like bread) during lunch and dinner.
Baqella nifro (boiled broad beans) are eaten as a snack during some holidays and during a time of mourning. This tradition goes well into religious holidays, too. On the Thursday before
Good Friday (in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church tradition,
tselote hamus (the Prayer of Thursday)), people eat a different kind of
nifro called
gulban.
Gulban is made of peeled half-beans collected and well-cooked with other grains such as wheat, peas, and
chickpeas.
England In
England, broad beans are usually boiled. There is a project aimed at increasing broad bean consumption, particularly by use of broad bean flour in bread.
Finland In
Finnish, the word for "broad bean" is (literally "ox bean"). Broad beans are used to make a
meat substitute called
Härkis.
Greece The Greek word () does
not refer to broad beans, but to the yellow
split pea and also to another
legume,
Lathyrus clymenum. Broad beans are known instead as
koukiá (), and are eaten in a stew combined with artichokes, while they are still fresh in their pods. Dried broad beans are eaten boiled, sometimes combined with garlic sauce (
skordalia). In
Crete, fresh broad beans are shelled and eaten as a companion to
tsikoudia, the local alcoholic drink.
Favism is quite common in Greece because of
malaria endemicity in previous centuries, and people afflicted by it do not eat broad beans.
India In India, broad beans are eaten in the
Northeastern state of
Manipur. They are locally known as
hawai-amubi and are ingredients in the dish
eromba.
Iran Broad beans, or "Baghalee" () are primarily cultivated in the central and north parts of Iran. The city of
Kashan has the highest production of broad beans with high quality in terms of the taste, cooking periods and colour. However, broad beans have a very short season (roughly two weeks). The season is usually in the middle of spring. When people have access to fresh beans in season, they cook them in brine and then add vinegar and
Heracleum persicum depending on taste. They also make an extra amount to dry to be used year-round. The dried beans can be cooked with rice, which forms one of the most famous dishes in north of Iran (
Gilan) called
baghalee polo () which means "rice with broad beans". In Iran, broad beans are cooked, served with Golpar-origan and salt and sold on streets in the winter. This food is also available preserved in metal cans.
Iraq Broad beans which are called Bagilla (باگله/باقله) in the Iraqi dialect of
Arabic are a common ingredient in many Iraqi foods. One of the most popular Iraqi dishes that uses the broad bean is Bagilla Bil-Dihin () also called Tishreeb Bagilla (). This dish is a common breakfast dish in Iraq and consists of bread soaked in boiled broad beans' water then topped with broad beans, melted
Ghee, and often also a boiled or fried egg. Fool () is another common breakfast dish in Iraq as well as many other
Arab countries and consists of mashed broad beans. Another famous Iraqi dish is Timmen Bagilla (), which is Arabic for 'broad bean rice'. This classic Iraqi dish consists of rice cooked with broad bean and dill.
Italy In Sardinia, broad beans are traditionally cooked with lard, often substituted or paired with bacon or minced pork. In Rome, broad beans are popular either cooked with
guanciale or with
globe artichokes, as side dish together with lamb or kid, or raw with
pecorino romano.
Fave e pecorino is the traditional dish for 1 May picnic in
Liguria,
Tuscany,
Marche,
Umbria and
Latium. In Sicily,
maccu is a
Sicilian soup prepared with broad beans as a primary ingredient. In
Apulia, broad bean purée with wild
chicory is a typical dish.
Japan Broad beans, called (
Japanese: , lit: "sky bean"), are consumed in a variety of ways in Japan. Most commonly, the beans are boiled and are eaten straight or added to rice. It is also consumed as a popular snack called (Japanese: , lit: "anchor bean"), in which the beans are roasted or fried.
Luxembourg Judd mat Gaardebounen, or smoked collar of pork with broad beans, is the national dish of
Luxembourg.
Malta They are a primary ingredient of the Maltese
kusksu, a vegetable soup primarily containing broad beans and pasta beads. They are also used in an
appetizer called
bigilla where they are served as a pureé mixed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and mint. It is served with bread or crackers.
Mexico In Mexico, broad beans are often eaten in a soup called , meaning "broad bean soup". They are also eaten fried, salted, and dried, as a snack, either by themselves or in combination with other salted, dried beans and nuts.
Morocco In Morocco, broad beans are cooked, steamed or made into
tabiṣart, a dip sold as a street food and commonly eaten in winter.
Nepal In Nepal, broad beans are called
bakulla. They are eaten as a green vegetable when the pods are young, generally stir-fried with garlic. When dried, broad beans are eaten roasted, or mixed with other legumes, such as moong beans, chick peas, and peas, and called
qwati. The mixture, soaked and germinated, is cooked as soup and consumed with rice or beaten rice on the occasion of
Janai Purnima also known as
Rakshya Bandhan, a festival celebrated by the Hindus. The dry and stir-fried version of
qwati is called
biraula. The
qwati soup is believed to reinvigorate the body affected by monsoon paddy season.
Netherlands In the Netherlands, they are traditionally eaten with fresh
savory and some melted butter. The combination of the beans tossed with crispy fried bacon is also common. When rubbed, the velvet insides of the pods are a folk remedy against warts.
Peru Broad beans (
Peruvian Spanish: ) are eaten fresh or dry-toasted, boiled, roasted, stewed or in soup. Habas are one of the essential ingredients of
pachamanca in the Andes of
Peru, and are also an additive for panetela, a homemade remedy to keep children fed and hydrated in cases of diarrhea or stomach infection and for
cholera treatment. Peruvian dishes with broad beans include: • Aji de habas • Saltado de habas • El
chupe de habas • Ajiaco de papas y habas • Pachamanca • Guiso de habas •
Shambar (heavy soup, traditional in Trujillo)
Poland In Poland, fava beans are frequently served boiled as a seasonal snack, usually from June to July. The pods are discarded. The individual beans are typically (though not always) peeled at the time of consumption.
Portugal Broad beans () are widely cultivated in Portugal and are very popular throughout the country. The most popular dish cooked with favas is "favada", a stew with onion and pork—depending on the region of the country the pork may be chorizo, bacon, pork shoulder, ribs or the mixture of many of these. In
Alentejo a lot of coriander will be added in the end. Besides favada, broad beans may be served dry and fried as an appetiser.
Serbia Broad bean aspic (
Serbian: ) is a Serbian winter dish in which the pureed cooked beans are combined with crushed garlic and set in a mould, topped with ground paprika in hot oil.
Spain Broad beans () are widely cultivated in Spain. Culinary uses vary among regions, but they can be used as the main pulse in a stew (
Habas estofadas, michirones) or as an addition to other dishes (
menestra, paella). In certain regions they can be eaten while unripe or fried and packaged as a snack.
Sudan Broad beans are one of the most widely consumed foods in Sudan. For most Sudanese, especially for city dwellers, they form the main dish during breakfast time (fatoor). The beans are cooked by steadily boiling over a sustained period of time. Similar to Egypt, the cooked beans are mashed, and prepared by adding salt and chili pepper and cumin. For additional flavour, sesame oil is added along with a sprinkling of jibna ("
feta" cheese) on top. The dish is then eaten with bread, sometimes mixed all in one dish: this is called fatta. Boash, the cooking liquid or
aquafaba, is also eaten, often mixed in with bread as a fatta.
Sweden Broad beans (), which in Sweden were traditionally eaten as soaked brown, and boiled, dried broad beans fried in lard, were for a very long time popular to add to other foods as a filling side, specially with fried pork. The green, raw, and lightly boiled broad beans were used seasonally as a side green.
Syria In Syria, broad beans are prepared in multiple ways for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ful medames is the same as the Egyptian dish (it is not mashed though) but with the addition of tomato, parsley and onion and with olive oil. Another version of it includes the addition of
tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, garlic and lemon. For lunch, broad beans are cooked with a mix of minced and big chunks of meat and is topped on white
rice and eaten with cold yogurt and cucumber salad.
Bulgur is sometimes used in preparing this recipe instead of rice. Broad beans are cooked with pieces of garlic, meat and meat stock with the addition of lemon juice and
cilantro. This dish is called
foulieh and is eaten on the side with rice. The same recipe is prepared without meat as a vegan dish eaten on Lent by
Christians in Syria.
Turkey In Turkey, broad beans are called ''
. This is also the name of a zeytinyağlı'' dish made by simmering young and tender broad bean pods with chopped onions in olive oil. It is traditionally garnished with dill and served cool, together with yoghurt. Another dish is '
, a meze prepared by pureeing beans with olive oil. Broad beans are also cooked with artichoke ('), which is another
zeytinyağlı dish.
Vietnam In Southern Vietnam, broad beans () are usually stir fried with rice noodles, durians, shrimps, Thai basil, quail eggs and pig intestines in a dry stew called
hủ tiếu lòng heo.
Other uses • In ancient Greece and
Rome, beans were used in voting; a white bean was used to cast a
yes vote, and a black bean for
no. Even today, the word () is used unofficially, referring to the votes. Beans were used as a food for the dead, such as during the annual
Lemuria festival. • The ancient Roman family name
Fabius and the modern political term
Fabian derive from this particular bean. • Both Porphyry and Iamblichus report that Pythagoras once persuaded a bull not to eat beans. • In
Ubykh culture, throwing beans on the ground and interpreting the pattern in which they fall was a common method of
divination (
favomancy), and the word for "bean-thrower" in that language has become a generic term for seers and soothsayers in general. • The colloquial expression 'not worth a hill of beans' alludes to their widespread economy and association with the peasant diet. • In Italy, broad beans are traditionally sown on 2 November,
All Souls Day. Small cakes made in the shape of broad beans (though not out of them) are known as or "beans of the dead". According to tradition,
Sicily once experienced a failure of all crops other than the beans; the beans kept the population from starvation, and thanks were given to
Saint Joseph. Broad beans subsequently became traditional on
Saint Joseph's Day altars in many Italian communities. Some people carry a broad bean for good
luck; some believe that if one carries a broad bean, one will never be without the essentials of life. In
Rome, on the first of May, Roman families traditionally eat fresh broad beans with
Pecorino Romano cheese during a daily excursion in the
Campagna. In northern Italy, on the contrary, broad beans are traditionally fed to animals—and so some people, especially the elderly, might frown on human consumption. But in
Liguria, a maritime region near northern Italy, broad beans are loved raw, and consumed fresh in early spring as the first product of the garden, alone or with fresh
Pecorino Sardo or with local
salami from
Sant'Olcese. In some Central Italian regions, a once-popular and recently rediscovered fancy food is the
bagiana, a soup of fresh or dried broad beans seasoned with onions and beet leaves stir-fried, before being added to the soup, in olive oil and lard (or bacon or cured ham fat). • In Portugal and Spain a Christmas cake called in Portuguese and in Spanish (King's cake) is baked with a broad bean inside. Whoever eats the slice containing it, is supposed to buy next year's cake. • A similar tradition exists in France, where the
fève (originally a dried bean, but often now a small china or metal trinket) is placed in the ; the person who finds it in their slice becomes the king or queen of the meal, and is often expected to serve the other guests to drink. •
Pliny claimed they acted as a
laxative. • European folklore also claims that planting beans on
Good Friday or during the night brings good luck. •
Frederick E Rose (London) Ltd v William H Pim Junior & Co Ltd [1953] 2 QB 450, is an
English contract law case where the two litigants had both mistaken
feveroles for ordinary horse beans. • Can be used as a
green manure, due to
nitrogen fixation it produces. • In the Netherlands, roasted or fried broad beans are regarded as a local delicacy of the city of
Groningen, and is locally called . Until the 1800s, the city council used
mollebonen for the voting process, sometimes real beans, sometimes made of stone or clay. The word
Molleboon became a nickname for the inhabitants of the city. ==Research==