Written by How many names can a bean have??
Fava Beans
Depending on where you hail from, bell beans, field beans, broad beans, horse beans, windsor beans – they are all names used interchangeably with Fava beans. From the family Fabaceae, third largest family which includes the peas, beans, pulses and legumes. Technically call Vicia fava – locally we call them Fava’s. If you appreciate the taste of rich buttery beans, fava beans can and should be a great addition to your menu and garden.
Fava’s are easy to prepare – treat them just like lima beans. For fresh ones – shell, rinse and then steam and butter, or braise with herbs,wine,butter combo. Fava’s are so versatile – they can be added to soups, cooked and pureed for dips and fillings, dried and spiced for tableside snacking. Flavorful, buttery in texture (think lima’s but better) – they add a wonderful nutritional texture to marinated salads, rice salads, ratatouille (or summer stew as we think of it here) – my favorite is steam, drain – then toss with butter and salt or dress with a combination of *EVOO and or butter and pinch of fresh chopped herbs – beans benefit from a pinch of savory, parsley or lemon thyme. They are an excellent addition to a multiple bean marinated salad for a cool summer salad treat.
Fava beans are one of the oldest plants under cultivation, and they were eaten in ancient Greece and Rome. Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture (Europe, Africa, Asia) being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with peas, chickpeas, and lentils they became a staple of the early European diets as early as 6000 BC.
Easy to prepare – steam and butter, braise with herbs,wine,butter, add to soups, cook and puree, fry or dry and spice for tableside snacking. Flavorful, buttery in texture (think lima’s but better) – they add a wonderful nutritional texture to marinated salads, rice salads, ratatouille (or summer stew as we think of it here) – my favorite is steam, drain – then toss with 1 tbsp EVOO/butter and pinch of fresh chopped herbs – any single of the following herbs or your favorite mix of chives, savory, parsley or lemon thyme.
Easily grown because they have a rep as being hardy (cold tolerant) Fava’s can be planted early in the spring – the beans will be ready when temp’s get hot. Enjoy while they are young and tender. The young leaves of the plant are edible – either raw in salads or cooked like spinach. Fava’s can dried for winter use. In some climates beans are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion and because they can over-winter. The additional bonus to the soil is they leave nitrogen as most legumes do. Fava beans can be affected by fungal diseases, such as rust or chocolate spot.
Interesting Facts:
Broad beans are rich in L-dopa, a substance used medically to treat Parkinsons disease.
Some also use fava beans as a natural alternative to drugs like Viagra – linking L-dopa & libido
In Peru and Columbia the dried fava’s are a snack is called habas saladas.
In Mexico dried fava’s are called habas con chile
In Thailand fava’s are called sator – which means open mouth nut.
Doubanjiang is a fermented bean paste used in chinese cuisine.
Cautions:
Broad beans are rich in tyramine and thus should be avoided by those taking MAO inhibitors.
Folks with G6PD should avoid raw broad beans which can induce hemolytic anemia. This potentially fatal condition is called “Favism” after the fava bean.
