Types of Beans

Tap to Read ➤ Mayuri Kulkarni

Azuki beans, fava beans, pinto beans, etc., are some of the various types of beans. Read on to know the different varieties of beans and their nutrition facts.

Fabaceae is a plant family, also known as pea or bean family. There are several different types of beans that come under this family. Some of them are used for cooking, while some are inedible. Beans are known for their high proteins, low fat, and low cholesterol content.

They are also high in useful minerals required by the body, like potassium, magnesium, and iron. Beans make great substitution for meat in case of vegetarians. They are very versatile and are used in various cuisines all over the world. Here are the types of beans and short information on each type.

Azuki Beans

Azuki beans, also spelled as adzuki beans or aduki beans, are cultivated extensively in the Eastern countries like Japan and China. These beans are small in size, red in color, round in shape, with sweet flavor, and are pointed from one side. Because of their sweet flavor, these beans are used to make sweet bean paste.

Red bean rice, moon-cakes, baozi, etc., are some of the Asian cuisines that use azuki beans. They are good sources of potassium, iron, copper, fiber, and vitamin B3. They are low in fat and sodium, and hence, help to maintain normal blood pressure level.

Black Beans

Black beans are also referred as black turtle beans or turtle beans. These beans are shiny, dark, and have shell like shape, hence named as turtle beans. They are a part of the staple diet of people in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Black beans are known for their sweet flavor and soft texture when cooked. They are used as main ingredients for preparing casseroles, soups, and pasta recipes. Domino, valentine, black-hawk, etc., are some of the varieties of black beans. These beans are natural cholesterol reducers and make good diet option for diabetic patients.

Broad Beans

Broad beans are considered as some of the oldest cultivated vegetables. Other names for broad beans include pigeon beans, fava beans, horse beans, and windsor beans. These beans have unique taste with smooth and creamy texture after cooking.

Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans are also called Indian pea, ceci pea, or chickpeas and are native to Middle east. This bean is one of the edible types of beans and is very high in proteins.

Chickpeas are considered as some of the oldest cultivated legumes. They have a firm texture and their taste can be said to range between taste of chestnuts or walnuts. Hummus, curries, falafel, etc. are some of the recipes that use these beans.

Haricot Beans

Navy beans, pea beans, white beans, etc. are some of the alternate names for haricot beans. These beans are specially used for making baked beans recipes.

They got the name "navy beans", since they were used extensively near the sea in 19th century. Haricot beans are oval shaped, small in size and have cream color. These beans need to be soaked before cooking.

Kidney Beans

Kidney beans as their name suggests are kidney shaped beans that are either dark red or light red in color. Sometimes these beans are called "chlli beans". They are free of cholesterol and hence are part of healthy diet. They contain a moderate amount of carbohydrates and are rich in iron and calcium.

Kidney beans are widely used for preparing various recipes that include casseroles and salads. These beans add incredible texture and taste to the recipe, due to which they are used in various cuisines, especially in India.

Lima Beans

Lima beans are also called butter beans, Pallar beans, Haba beans, Madagascar beans, sugar beans, etc. They are actually seeds of a legume called Phaseolus lunatus. The beans are flat with greenish-white shade.

They are named as butter beans due to their butter like taste and creamy soft texture. These beans are found both in large and small varieties and are used to prepare array of delicious recipes.

Hyacinth Beans

Indian beans, Egyptian beans, bulay, etc., are some other names of hyacinth beans. This bean is widely grown as food crop in tropical regions, that include, India, Indonesia, and Africa. The bean plant actually grows like a vine and has pods that are dark purple in color. Not just the beans, but the leaves and flowers of this plant are also edible.

Other Types of Beans

Green Beans Pinto beans Soy Beans Rice Beans

Velvet Beans Tepary Beans Sword Beans Winged Beans Snake Beans Try to include these beans in your meals and enjoy the health benefits provided by them.