View source for Phaseolus vulgaris

{{Short description|Common bean plant}}
{{Redirect|Pole bean|other uses|Beanpole (disambiguation){{!}}Beanpole}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Snijboon peulen Phaseolus vulgaris.jpg
| image_caption = {{longitem|style=padding:0 0 0.6em;line-height:1.3em|A flat-podded variety of the common bean}}
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Phaseolus vulgaris'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Delgado-Salinas, A. |author2=Alejandre-Iturbide, G. |author3=Azurdia, C. |author4=Cerén-López, J. |author5=Contreras, A. |article-number=e.T71777161A173264641 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T71777161A173264641.en |year=2020 |access-date=11 November 2022}}</ref>
| taxon = Phaseolus vulgaris
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]
| synonyms =
* ''Phaseolus aborigineus'' <small>Burkart</small>
* ''Phaseolus communis'' <small>Pritz.</small>
* ''Phaseolus compressus'' <small>DC.</small>
* ''Phaseolus esculentus'' <small>Salisb.</small>
* ''Phaseolus nanus'' <small>L.</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=phaseolus+vulgaris |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species}}</ref>
}}

'''''Phaseolus vulgaris''''', the '''common bean''',<ref name="gentry">{{cite journal |last=Gentry |first=Howard Scott |title=Origin of the Common Bean, ''Phaseolus vulgaris'' |jstor=4253014 |journal=[[Economic Botany]] |location=New York |publisher=New York Botanical Garden Press |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=55–69 |year=1969 |doi=10.1007/BF02862972 |bibcode=1969EcBot..23...55G |s2cid=29555157}},</ref> is a herbaceous [[annual plant]] grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or [[green bean|green, unripe pods]]. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a [[Leaf vegetable|vegetable]] and the [[straw]] as [[fodder]]. Its [[Plant taxonomy|botanical classification]], along with other ''[[Phaseolus]]'' species, is as a member of the [[legume]] family, [[Fabaceae]]. Like most members of this family, common beans acquire the [[nitrogen]] they require through an association with [[rhizobia]], which are [[Nitrogen fixation|nitrogen-fixing]] [[bacteria]].

The common bean has a long history of cultivation. All wild members of the species have a climbing habit,<ref name="Phillips 1993">{{cite book |author1=Phillips, R. |author2=Rix, M. |year=1993 |title=Vegetables |publisher=Random House |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/vegetables0000phil_j5e7/page/n4/mode/1up?view=theater |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0-679-75024-6}}{{Page needed|date=December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Raja |first1=Vicente |last2=Silva |first2=Paula L. |last3=Holghoomi |first3=Roghaieh |last4=Calvo |first4=Paco |date=2020-11-10 |title=The dynamics of plant nutation |journal=Scientific Reports |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |page=19465 |doi=10.1038/s41598-020-76588-z |pmid=33173160 |pmc=7655864 |bibcode=2020NatSR..1019465R |issn=2045-2322 |doi-access=free}}</ref> but many [[cultivar]]s are classified either as ''bush beans'' or ''climbing beans'', depending on their style of growth. The other major types of commercially grown beans are the runner bean (''[[Phaseolus coccineus]]'') and the broad bean (''[[Vicia faba]]''). 

Beans are grown on every continent except Antarctica. In 2022, 28&nbsp;million [[tonne]]s of dry common beans were produced worldwide, led by India with 23% of the total.<ref name=fao/>

Raw dry beans contain the toxic compound [[phytohaemagglutinin]],<ref name="FDA" /> which can be deactivated by cooking beans for ten minutes at [[boiling point]] (100&nbsp;°C, 212&nbsp;°F). The U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] also recommends an initial soak of at least 5 hours in water which should then be discarded, although this is largely for reducing indigestible carbohydrates.<ref name="FDA">{{cite web |publisher=United States [[Food and Drug Administration]] |url=https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf |title=Bad Bug Book: Handbook of Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins: Phytohaemagglutinin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418013247/http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf |archive-date=2013-04-18 |access-date=2020-04-17}}</ref>

== Description ==

''Bush'' varieties form erect bushes {{convert|20–60|cm|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} tall, while ''pole'', or ''running'', varieties form [[vine]]s {{convert|2–3|m|ft|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} long. All varieties bear alternate, green or purple [[leaves]], which are divided into three oval, smooth-edged leaflets, each {{convert|6–15|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long and {{convert|3–11|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} wide. The white, pink, or purple [[flower]]s are about a centimetre long and have 10 [[stamens]] each. The flowers are [[self-pollinating]], which facilitates the selection of stable cultivars. The flowers give way to pods {{convert|8–20|cm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} long and 1–1.5&nbsp;cm wide. These may be green, yellow, black, or purple, each containing 4–8 beans. Some varieties develop a string along the pod; these are generally cultivated for dry beans, as green stringy beans are not commercially desirable. The beans are smooth, plump, kidney-shaped, up to 1.5&nbsp;cm long, range widely in color and are often mottled in two or more colors. The beans maintain their germination capacity for up to five years.

Like most species from ''Phaseolus'', the genome of ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris'' has 11 chromosomal pairs (2n = 22). Its genome is one of the smallest in the legume family at 625 Mbp per haploid genome.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gepts |first=P. |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B0122270800017493 |title=Encyclopedia of Genetics |date=2001 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-227080-2 |pages=1444–1445 |doi=10.1006/rwgn.2001.1749}}</ref>

Raw or undercooked beans contain a toxic protein called [[phytohaemagglutinin]].<ref name="FDA" />{{rp|254}}

{{gallery|mode=packed
|Stamboon poortje.jpg|Beans germinating
|Stamboon kiemplant.jpg|Beans sprouting
|Starr 080914-9907 Phaseolus vulgaris.jpg|Bean tendrils, exhibiting anti-clockwise wrapping
|2011-07-25 21-30-17-flower.jpg|Bean flower close-up
|Haricots_-_Plantes_potagères_Vilmorin-Andrieux_et_Cie.jpg|Bean [[cultivar]]s illustrated in 1891 catalog
}}

== Taxonomy ==
The common bean, like all species of ''[[Phaseolus]]'' is a member of the [[legume]] family [[Fabaceae]].

In ''Species Plantarum'' in 1753, [[Carl Linnaeus]] classified the beans known by him into genus ''[[Phaseolus]]'' and genus ''Dolichos'', naming 11 species of ''Phaseolus'',<ref>{{Cite book |language=la|first=Caroli|last=Linnaei|title=Species plantarum: exhibentes plantas rite cognitas...|year=1753|pages=723–725|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358744#page/165/mode/1up|format=thanks to ''biodiversitylibrary.org''|access-date=2023-11-18}}</ref> including 6 cultivated species and 5 "wild" species.

The beans cultivated in Europe prior to the [[Columbian Exchange]] were of Asian origin and are unrelated to New World ''Phaseolus'' species. The Eurasian species were transferred to other genera including ''[[Vigna]]'', ''[[Vicia]]'' and ''[[Lablab]]'', so members of the ''Phaseolus'' genus are now all from the Americas.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Chauvet, M.|year=1982|title=Le point sur la nomenclature des haricots, à l'occasion de la parution de la monographie de Maréchal, Mascherpa et Stainie|url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/jatba_0183-5173_1982_num_29_1_3857|journal=Journal d'agriculture traditionnelle et de botanique appliquée|volume=29|issue=1|pages= 31–39|doi=10.3406/jatba.1982.3857 |language=fr}}</ref>

=== Etymology ===
[[Ancient Greeks]] used the word {{Lang|grc|φάσηλος}} ({{Lang|grc-Latn|phasēlos}}) to refer to the beans of Asian origins that were cultivated in Europe at the time.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Heinrich |first1=F. B. J. |last2=Wilkins |first2=D. A. |date=2014-12-14 |title=Beans, boats and archaeobotany. a new translation of phasolus or why the Romans ate neither kidney beans nor cowpeas |url=https://ugp.rug.nl/Palaeohistoria/article/view/24926 |journal=Palaeohistoria |language=English |publisher=University of Groningen Press |volume=55/56 |pages=149–176 |issn=2773-1723}}[https://rjh.ub.rug.nl/Palaeohistoria/article/download/24926/22374 PDF]</ref> The [[Roman people|Romans]] used both the Latinized ''phaseolus'' and their own ''faba'' to refer to different pre-Columbian species of beans,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sturtevant |first1=E. L |date=1887 |title=History of Garden Vegetables |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/274456 |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=321–333 |doi=10.1086/274456 |bibcode=1887ANat...21..321S |access-date=2 December 2023 |quote=p.328: Albertus Magnus, who lived in the thirteenth century, used the word faselus as denoting a specific plant, as "faba et faseolus et pisa et alia genera leguminis," "cicer, faba, faseolus."|url-access=subscription }}</ref> presumably using the word ''faseolus'' for smaller seeds like those belonging to the genus ''Vigna'' such as [[black-eyed peas]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sturtevant |first1=E. L |date=1887 |title=History of Garden Vegetables |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/274456 |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=321–333 |doi=10.1086/274456 |bibcode=1887ANat...21..321S |access-date=2 December 2023 |quote=p.328: He [Albertus Magnus] also says, " Et sunt faseoli multorum colorum, sed quodlibet granorum habet maculam nigramin loco cotyledonis."|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and the word ''faba'' for larger seeds, such as the [[fava beans]]. This latter word, ''faba'', was related to the [[Proto-Germanic]] ''bauno'', from which the [[Old English]] word {{Lang|ang|bean}} is derived and has the meaning of "bean, pea, legume".<ref name="etymology">{{cite web |author1=Harper, D. (n.d.). |title=Etymology of bean |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/bean |access-date=2 December 2023 |publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary}}</ref> When ''Phaseolus vulgaris'' arrived in Europe in the [[16th century]], this species was yet another seed in a pod, thus there were already words in the European languages describing it.

In the [[Americas]], ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris'' is also known as {{Lang|nah|ayacotl}} in [[Nahuatl]] ([[Aztec]] language), {{Lang|myn|búul}} in [[Mayan language|Mayan]] ([[Maya civilization|Maya]] language) and {{Lang|qu|purutu}} in [[Quechuan languages|Quechua]] ([[Inca]] language). In Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, the Spanish name {{Lang|es|poroto}} is used, being derived from its corresponding Quechua word. Additional names include the [[Spanish language|Castilian Spanish]] {{Lang|es|frijol}}, the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] {{Lang|pt|feijão}}, and the [[Catalan language|Catalan]] {{Lang|ca|fesol}}.

== Distribution ==
[[File:Phaseolus vulgaris domestication.svg|thumb|Two genetic pools of the domestication of ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris''<br/>1 – [[Mesoamerica]]n area<br/>2 – [[Andes|Andean]] area]]

Wild ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris'' is native to the Americas. It was originally assumed that it had been [[Domestication|domesticated]] separately in [[Mesoamerica]] and in the southern [[Andes]] region some {{nobr|{{gaps|8|000|years}}}} ago, giving the domesticated bean two [[gene pool]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Paul |last=Gepts |date=December 1998 |title=Origin and evolution of common bean: Past events and recent trends |journal=[[HortScience]] |volume=33 |issue=7 |pages=1124–1130 |doi=10.21273/HORTSCI.33.7.1124 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nadeem |first1=Muhammad Azhar |last2=Habyarimana |first2=Ephrem |last3=Çiftçi |first3=Vahdettin |last4=Nawaz |first4=Muhammad Amjad |last5=Karaköy |first5=Tolga |last6=Comertpay |first6=Gonul |last7=Shahid |first7=Muhammad Qasim |last8=Hatipoğlu |first8=Rüştü |last9=Yeken |first9=Mehmet Zahit |last10=Ali |first10=Fawad |last11=Ercişli |first11=Sezai |last12=Chung |first12=Gyuhwa |last13=Baloch |first13=Faheem Shehzad |display-authors=6 |date=2018-10-11 |df=dmy-all |title=Characterization of genetic diversity in Turkish common bean gene pool using phenotypic and whole-genome DArTseq-generated silicoDArT marker information |journal=[[PLoS One]] |volume=13 |issue=10 |at=article&nbsp;0205363 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0205363 |doi-access=free |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=6181364 |pmid=30308006 |bibcode=2018PLoSO..1305363N }}</ref> 

Beans, [[Squash (fruit)|squash]], and [[maize]] (corn) are the three [[Mesoamerica]]n crops that constitute the [[Three Sisters (agriculture)|"Three Sisters"]], central to [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas#Agriculture|indigenous American agriculture]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hill |first=Christina Gish |date=2020-11-20 |df=dmy-all |title=Returning the 'three sisters' – corn, beans, and squash – to Native American farms nourishes people, land, and cultures |url=http://theconversation.com/returning-the-three-sisters-corn-beans-and-squash-to-native-american-farms-nourishes-people-land-and-cultures-149230 |access-date=2021-01-08 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref>

The common bean arrived in Europe as part of the [[Columbian exchange]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book |first=Colin Duncan |last=Taylor |year=2021 |title=Menu from the Midi: A gastronomic journey through the south of France |publisher=Matador |language=English |isbn=978-1-80046-496-4}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==
Good commercial yield in favorable environments under irrigation is {{convert|6 to 8|short ton/ha|t/ha ST/acre|0|order=out}} fresh and {{convert|1.5 to 2|short ton/ha|t/ha ST/acre|1|order=out}} dry seed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/land-water/databases-and-software/crop-information/bean/en/ |title=Bean |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=www.fao.org |last=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref>

=== Cultivars and varieties ===
Archeologists found large-seeded varieties of the domesticated bean in the highlands of Peru, dating to 2300&nbsp;BC, and spreading to the coastal regions by around 500&nbsp;BC.<ref name="sanderson">{{cite book |last1=Pearman |first1=Georgina |title=The Cultural History of Plants |date=2005 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=0-415-92746-3 |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |pages=143–144 |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark}}</ref> Small-seeded varieties were found in sites in Mexico, dating to 300&nbsp;BC, which then spread north and east of the [[Mississippi River]] by 1000&nbsp;AD.<ref name="sanderson" />

Many well-known bean [[cultivar]]s and varieties belong to this species, and the list below is in no way exhaustive. Both bush and running (pole) cultivars/varieties exist. The colors and shapes of pods and seeds vary over a wide range.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Taxon - Legume Data Portal |url=https://www.legumedata.org/taxonomy/taxon/2537710 |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=www.legumedata.org}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="clear:right"
|-
! Name
! Image
! Description
|-
| Anasazi
|[[File:Anasazi beans (11002990623).jpg|100px]]
|Anasazi beans are a dappled red and white bean first cultivated by [[Ancestral Puebloans|Ancestral Puebloan]] people around 130&nbsp;AD in what is now the [[Four Corners]] region of the United States. Anasazi Bean is often confused with Jacob's Cattle variety, but Anasazi has splashes of color, whereas Jacob's Cattle has splashes and small spots. Anasazi beans were adopted by commercial growers beginning in the 1980s and marketed under the name "Anasazi"; traditionally they were known by the Spanish names {{Lang|es|frijol conejo}} (rabbit bean), {{Lang|es|vaquita}} (little cow), or {{Lang|es|pájaro carpintero}} (woodpecker).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wittenberg |first1=Margaret M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBz4vNhluBgC |title=The Essential Good Food Guide |date=2013 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=978-1-60774-434-4 |edition=3 |location=Berkeley |page=145 |access-date=June 10, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Rebecca |date=May 2, 1993 |title=Oh, Beans! The Anasazi is 7,000 years old and still growing |work=Albuquerque Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/32589402/albuquerque_journal/ |access-date=June 11, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|-
| [[Appaloosa bean|Appaloosa]]
| [[File:Painted Pony Bean.JPG|100px]]
| Front portion of the bean is ivory colored; the other end is speckled with reddish-purple and mocha. The bean is named after the [[Appaloosa]] ponies of the [[Nez Perce people|Nez Perce tribe]]. The seed was cultivated near the [[Palouse River]] in Eastern [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and Northern [[Idaho]]. 
|-
| [[Black turtle bean|Black&nbsp;turtle]]
| [[File:Black Turtle Bean.jpg|100px]]
| The black turtle bean has small, shiny black seeds. It is especially popular in Latin American cuisine.
|-
| [[Bolita bean]]
|[[File:Bolita Beans.jpg|100px]]
|Bolita beans are a traditional variety utilized in [[New Mexican cuisine]] by [[Hispanos of New Mexico|New Mexican Hispanos]] from northern [[New Mexico]] and southern [[Colorado]]. They can range from whitish-tan to beige and even pinkish-purple in color.
|-
| [[Calypso bean|Calypso]]
| [[File:Panda beans.jpg|100px]]
| Calypso beans, also called ''panda'' beans or ''yin–yang'' beans, are half black and half white, with one or two black dots in the white area. When young, the pods can be harvested as green beans. But when full-grown, they are used as a bean for drying. 
|-
| [[Cranberry bean|Cranberry]]
| [[File:Crimson cranberrybeans.jpg|100px]]
| The [[cranberry bean]]s originated in [[Colombia]] as the ''cargamanto'' bean. Borlotti or Roman beans are a variety of cranberry beans bred in Italy to have a thicker skin. They are much used in Mediterranean cuisine. A widespread cultivar of European borlotti is 'Borlotto Lingua di Fuoco' (Tongue of Fire).
|-
| [[Dragon tongue bean|Dragon tongue]]
| [[File:Beans in Ventimiglia.jpg|100px]]
| The dragon tongue bean is a type of [[cranberry bean]]. It is a flavorful, juicy bean whose seeds are encased in a buffed, colorful pod with mottled burgundy patterns throughout the shell's surface. The shelled beans are pale pistachio green in color, their size, petite, and their shape, ovate and slightly curved.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dragon Tongue Shelling Beans |url=http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Dragon_Tongue_Shelling_Beans_4301.php |access-date=17 November 2023 |website=Specialty Produce}}</ref>
|-
| [[Flageolet bean|Flageolet]]
| [[File:Canned flageolets.jpg|100px]]
| Flageolet beans are picked before full maturity and dried in the shade to retain a green color and a distinct taste. The seeds are small, light green, and kidney-shaped. If shelled and cooked when fresh but semi-dry, the texture is firm yet creamy. They are often eaten in France, where they traditionally accompany lamb.
|-
| Great northern beans
| 
| Great northern beans are a large, flat, kidney-shaped white bean. They have a mild, nutty flavor. They are popular in North America and often added to [[soup beans|soups]] and casseroles.
|-
| [[Kidney bean|Kidney]]
| [[File:Red Rajma BNC.jpg|100px]]
| Kidney beans, also known as red beans, are named for their visual resemblance in shape and color to [[kidney]]s. They are sometimes used in [[chili con carne]] and are an integral part of the cuisine in northern regions of India. They are also used in New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana for the Monday Creole dish of [[red beans and rice]] as well as the Caribbean ''[[habichuelas guisadas]]'' and Central American ''[[gallo pinto]]''.
|-
|Jacob's cattle
| [[File:Jacob's Cattle beans with pods.jpg|100px]]
|Similar to Anasazi in appearance, with the exception of having also dots. Legend says the [[Passamaquoddy]] indigenous people of [[Maine]] gave these beans as a gift to Joseph Clark, the first Caucasian child born in Lubec, Maine in the 1600s. Also known as Trout.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jacob's Cattle Bean |url=https://slowfoodusa.org/jacobs-cattle-bean/ |access-date=17 April 2023 |website=Slow Food USA.org |date=2 April 2020 |quote=Slow Food USA tends the Ark of Taste catalog, a repository of critically important but increasinglycritically important but increasingly endangered food sources.}}</ref>
|-
| Mocha with cherry
| [[File:Mocha with Cherry.jpg|100px]]
| "Mocha with cherry" is a polebean. This variety is said to come from the Rodope area in Bulgaria, and to be related to "Papa de Rola" and "Dove's Breast". 
|-
| North Holland brown
| [[File:Bruine boon Noordhollandse Bruine (Phaseolus vulgaris).jpg|100px]]
| This bean is an old Dutch Heirloom bush variety primarily used for dried beans. 
|-
| [[Pea bean|Pea]], painted pony
|
| A type of ''P. vulgaris'' called pea bean has been recorded in Britain since the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes (1597) |url=http://caliban.mpiz-koeln.mpg.de/gerarde/high/IMG_1020.html |work=mpg.de |page=1040 |quote=The party coloured kidney bean of Egypt ''Phaseolus aegypticus''}}</ref> In the US, the name "pea bean" is also used to describe small white beans and the same name is used for [[Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis|''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis'']], also called yard-long bean and cowpea.<ref name="GRIN2">{{GRIN|''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis''|41646|access-date=September 22, 2013}}</ref> The seeds of the British pea bean are bicolored red-brown and white (not to be confused with Jacob's Cattle, which is darker red than reddish-brown). The plants are typical climbing beans. The beans are either eaten in the pod-like French beans or may be harvested when mature and eaten as other dried beans.<ref>[http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/pea-bean.php – The National Vegetable Society – the Pea bean] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125002122/http://www.nvsuk.org.uk/growing_show_vegetables_1/pea-bean.php|date=January 25, 2007}}</ref>
|-
| Peruano
| [[File:Canary peruvian bean.jpg|100px]]
| Also known as mayocoba, canary, canario, Peruvian, Mexican yellow bean. A light green to jaundice yellow kidney-shaped bean that is preferred in certain regions of Mexico (such as Jalisco<ref name="HB">{{cite book |last1=Sando |first1=Steve |title=Heirloom Beans |last2=Barrington |first2=Vanessa |date=2008 |publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-0-8118-6069-7 |edition=1 |location=San Francisco, CA |page=17}}</ref>) for making ''frijoles refritos'', and in Peru for making ''tacu tacu'', a pan-fried cake of leftover beans and rice.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yonan |first1=Joe |title=Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein |date=2020 |publisher=Ten Speed Press |isbn=978-0-399-58149-6 |edition=3 |location=Berkeley |page=217}}</ref> Often described as having a "buttery" and "creamy" texture.
|-
| Pink
| [[File:Bean market5 lo (4105608604).jpg|100px]]
| Pink beans are small, pale pink, oval-shaped beans also known by the Spanish name ''habichuelas rosadas''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pink Bean – Definition and Cooking Information |url=http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--36058/pink-bean.asp |access-date=2012-01-14 |publisher=RecipeTips.com}}</ref> The [[Santa Maria, California|Santa Maria]] ''pinquito'' ([[Spanglish]] = pink and small), is commercially grown on the mesas above Santa Maria, California, and is a necessary ingredient in [[Santa Maria-style barbecue]].
|-
| [[Pinto bean|Pinto]]
| [[File:Pinto bean.jpg|100px]]
| Pinto beans are named for their mottled skin ({{langx|es|pinto}} = painted or mottled). They are the most common bean in the United States<ref>{{cite web |title=Maize 2003 CGC Meeting |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/cgc_reports/phascgc.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915081355/http://www.ars-grin.gov/npgs/cgc_reports/phascgc.htm |archive-date=2012-09-15 |access-date=2012-01-14 |publisher=Ars-grin.gov}}</ref> and northwestern Mexico,<ref>{{cite web |date=May 28, 2001 |title=Situación actual y perspectiva de la producción de Frijol en México 1990-2000 |lang=es-mx |trans-title=Current situation and perspective of bean production in Mexico 1990-2000 |website=[[Federal government of Mexico]] |url=http://www.siea.sagarpa.gob.mx/Publicaciones/Archivos/Frijol90-00.pdf |archive-date=April 10, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410212553/http://www.siea.sagarpa.gob.mx/Publicaciones/Archivos/Frijol90-00.pdf }}</ref> and are most often eaten whole in broth or mashed and [[refried beans|refried]]. Either whole or mashed, they are a common filling for [[burrito]]s. The young pods may also be harvested and cooked as green pinto beans.
|-
| Polish eagle beans
| [[File:Polish Eagle Bean.jpg|100px]]
| Also called by the Independence bean by the Polish people because the brown pattern on the inner side of the bean resembles and Eagle - the Polish emblem. This bean variety was cultivated in the XIX century as an act of patriotism by the Polish people.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Slurrp Editorial |date=Jan 7, 2023 |title=Uncovering The History Behind Poland's Iconic Eagle Bean: A Symbol Of Independence |url=https://www.slurrp.com/article/the-history-polands-iconic-eagle-bean-a-symbol-of-independence-1673090956063 |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref> 
|-
| [[Rattlesnake bean|Rattlesnake]]
| [[File:Phaseolus vulgaris - Rattlesnake cultivar.png|100px]]
| A medium-sized, oblong bean with light brown seeds striped with brown markings. Named for the snake-like manner in which their pods coil around the vine.<ref name="HerbstHerbst2015">{{cite book |author1=Ron Herbst |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e8BoCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1439 |title=The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion, 2nd edition |author2=Sharon Tyler Herbst |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-4380-7621-8 |pages=1439–}}</ref>
|-
| [[Small red beans]]
|
[[File:Small red beans.jpg|100px]]
| Small red beans, also known as "Mexican red beans", "Central American red beans", and "New Orleans red beans". Popular in central america. Often confused with kidney beans their cousin for a similar color.<ref>{{cite web |title=What Are Small Red Beans? |url=https://www.camelliabrand.com/about-the-bean/about-small-red-beans/ |access-date=3 July 2025 |website=www.camelliabrand.com/ |date=19 March 2020 }}</ref>
|-
| Sulphur
|
| Also known as ''China yellow bean, a thin-skinned, nearly round [[Maine]] heirloom bean that has a tawny yellow color but cooks white and has a distinctly unique flavor.<ref name="MFC">{{Cite web |title=A Taste of Maine |work=Maine Folklife Center |url=https://umaine.edu/folklife/what-we-do/exhibits/foodways-research-a-taste-of-maine/ |access-date=2021-02-22 |publisher=The University of Maine Folklife Center |archive-date=2021-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118003055/https://umaine.edu/folklife/what-we-do/exhibits/foodways-research-a-taste-of-maine/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> This is a choice variety for use in the traditional Bean Hole style.<ref name="BHB">{{Cite web |title=A Maine Tradition: Bean-Hole Beans |work=Maine Folklife Center |url=https://umaine.edu/folklife/what-we-do/exhibits/bean-hole-beans/ |access-date=2021-02-22 |publisher=The University of Maine Folklife Center}}</ref>
|-
| Tiger's eye
|[[File:Tigers Eye.jpg|100px]]
|A bush variety, thought to have originated in Chile or Argentina.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Seed Savers Exchange |title=Tiger's Eye Bean |url=https://www.seedsavers.org/tigers-eye-bean |access-date=16 April 2023 |website=seedsavers.org/}}</ref>
|-
| White
| [[File:Phaseolus vulgaris white beans, witte boon.jpg|100px]]
| [[Navy bean]]s or haricot beans are particularly popular in the United Kingdom and the United States. White beans are the most abundant plant-based source of [[phosphatidylserine]] known.<ref>Souci SW, Fachmann E, Kraut H (2008). Food Composition and Nutrition Tables. Medpharm Scientific Publishers Stuttgart.</ref>
|-
| Yellow (Enola type)
| [[File:"Enola" Bean 3 (3886669297).jpg|100px]]
| 'Sinaloa Azufrado', 'Mayocoba', and 'Peruano' (also called canary) are yellow beans. Peruano beans (see above) are small, oval, yellow beans about 1/2&nbsp;in (1&nbsp;cm) long with a thin skin. They have a creamy texture when cooked. Despite the name ('Peruvian beans' in Spanish), they are native to Mexico. Yellow beans are uncommon in the United States due to a controversial patent issued in 1999 to John Proctor, who selected and named a strain of yellow beans from seeds he brought back from Mexico. U.S. Patent No. 5,894,079 (the [[Enola bean|Enola or yellow bean patent]]) granted POD-NERS, LLC., exclusive right to import and sell yellow beans in the United States from 1999 through 2008 when the patent was rejected after reexamination.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Enola Bean Patent Controversy: Biopiracy, Novelty And Fish-And-Chips |url=http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2002dltr0008.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402201831/http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2002dltr0008.html |archive-date=2012-04-02 |access-date=2012-01-14 |publisher=Law.duke.edu}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Appeal 2007-3938 |url=http://www.uspto.gov/ip/boards/bpai/decisions/inform/fd073938.pdf |access-date=2012-01-14}}</ref>
|-
| Yellow eye
| [[File:Maine Yellow Eye beans.jpg|100px]]
| Also known as ''Maine yellow eye'', this is the most popular baking bean in [[Maine]], which comes in several strains, including the 'Steuben', one of the oldest heirloom beans. It has a wide appeal for its clean, mild taste and is considered the baked bean of choice for church and grange suppers.<ref name="MFC" />
|}

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Dry bean production – 2022<ref name="fao">{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title= Dry bean production in 2022, Crops/Regions/World list/Production Quantity/Year (pick lists)|date=2024|publisher=UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate Statistical Database ([[FAOSTAT]])|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref>
|-
!  style="background:#ddf; | Country
!  style="background:#ddf; | Millions of [[tonne]]s
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{IND}} || 6.6
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{BRA}} || 2.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{MYA}} || 2.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{CHN}} || 1.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{USA}} || 1.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | {{MEX}} || 1.0
|-
| '''World'''|| '''28.3'''
|-
|colspan=2|<small>Source: [[FAOSTAT]] of the [[United Nations]]</small><ref name=fao/>
|}

=== Production ===

In 2022, world production of dry common beans was 28 million tonnes, led by India with 23% of the total. [[Brazil]] and [[Myanmar]] were secondary producers.

== Toxicity ==
{{further|Phytohaemagglutinin}}
The toxic compound ''phytohaemagglutinin'', a [[lectin]], is present in many common bean varieties but is especially concentrated in red kidney beans. White kidney beans contain about a third as much phytohaemagglutinin as the red variety; broad beans (''Vicia faba'') contain 5–10% of the amount that red kidney beans contain.<ref name="FDA" />

Phytohaemagglutinin can be inactivated by cooking beans for ten minutes at [[boiling point]] (100&nbsp;°C, 212&nbsp;°F). Insufficient cooking, such as in a [[slow cooker]] at 80&nbsp;°C/176&nbsp;°F, is insufficient to deactivate all toxins. To safely cook the beans, the U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) recommends boiling for 30 minutes to ensure they reach a sufficient temperature for long enough to destroy the toxin completely.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bad Bug Book (2012) |work=Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: Phytohaemagglutinin |url=https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418013247/http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/UCM297627.pdf |archive-date=April 18, 2013 |publisher=Food and Drug Administration |access-date=26 December 2013 |year=2012 |quote=Consumers should boil the beans for at least 30 minutes to ensure that the product reaches sufficient temperature}}</ref> For dry beans, the FDA also recommends an initial soak of at least five hours in water, which should then be discarded.<ref name="FDA"/> Outbreaks of poisoning have been associated with cooking kidney beans in [[slow cooker]]s.<ref name="FDA"/>

The primary [[symptom]]s of phytohaemagglutinin poisoning are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Onset is from one to three hours after consumption of improperly prepared beans, and symptoms typically resolve within a few hours.<ref name="FDA"/> Consumption of as few as four or five raw, soaked kidney beans can cause symptoms.<ref name="FDA"/> Canned red kidney beans are safe to use immediately, as they have already been cooked.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/be-careful-with-red-kidney-beans-in-the-slow-cooker.aspx |title=Be Careful With Red Kidney Beans in The Slow Cooker |work=Mother Earth News |date=31 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foodsmart.govt.nz/elibrary/cooking_safely_with.htm |title=Cooking safely with slow cookers and crock pots |work=foodsmart.govt.nz |access-date=2014-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102081731/http://www.foodsmart.govt.nz/elibrary/cooking_safely_with.htm |archive-date=2016-01-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/raw-kidney-beans |title=Raw Kidney Beans |work=Home Food Preservation (Penn State Extension)}}</ref>

Beans are high in [[purine]]s, which are metabolized to [[uric acid]]. Uric acid is not a toxin but may promote the development or exacerbation of [[gout]]. However, more recent research has questioned this association, finding that moderate intake of purine-rich foods is not associated with an increased risk of gout.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Choi HK, Atkinson K, Karlson EW, Willett W, Curhan G |title=Purine-rich foods, dairy and protein intake, and the risk of gout in men |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=350 |issue=11 |pages=1093–103 |date=March 2004 |pmid=15014182 |doi=10.1056/NEJMoa035700 |s2cid=6478950 |doi-access=free }}</ref>{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Beans, snap, green, raw
| image = French beans J1.JPG
| water = 90.3 g
| kJ = 152
| protein = 1.3 g
| fat = 0.22 g
| carbs = 6.97 g
| fiber = 2.7 g
| sugars = 3.26 g
| calcium_mg = 37
| copper_mg = 0.069
| iron_mg = 1.03
| magnesium_mg = 25
| phosphorus_mg = 38
| potassium_mg = 211
| manganese_mg = 0.216
| sodium_mg = 6
| selenium_ug = 0.6
| zinc_mg = 0.24
| vitC_mg = 12.2
| thiamin_mg = 0.082
| riboflavin_mg = 0.104
| niacin_mg = 0.734
| pantothenic_mg = 0.225
| vitB6_mg = 0.141
| folate_ug = 33
| vitA_ug = 35
| betacarotene_ug = 379
| lutein_ug = 640
| vitE_mg = 0.41
| vitK_ug = 43
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169961/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
| source_usda = 1
}}

== Uses ==
=== Nutrition ===
{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Beans, white, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
| image = Phaseolus vulgaris white beans, witte boon.jpg
| water = 63.1 g
| kJ = 581
| protein = 9.73 g
| fat = 0.35 g
| carbs = 25.1 g
| fiber = 6.3 g
| sugars = 0.34 g
| calcium_mg = 90
| copper_mg = 0.287
| iron_mg = 3.7
| magnesium_mg = 63
| phosphorus_mg = 113
| potassium_mg = 561
| manganese_mg = 0.636
| sodium_mg = 6
| selenium_ug = 1.3
| zinc_mg = 1.38
| vitC_mg = 0
| thiamin_mg = 0.118
| riboflavin_mg = 0.046
| niacin_mg = 0.14
| pantothenic_mg = 0.229
| vitB6_mg = 0.093
| folate_ug = 81
| vitE_mg = 0.94
| vitK_ug = 3.5
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/175203/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
| source_usda = 1
}}

Raw green beans are 90% water, 7% [[carbohydrate]]s, and 1% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]] and contain negligible [[fat]]. In a reference amount of {{convert|100|g}}, raw green beans supply about 36 [[calorie]]s and are a rich source (20% or more of the US [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[vitamin K]] (41% DV) and a moderate source (10–19% DV) of [[vitamin C]], [[vitamin B6]], and [[manganese]].

Dry white common beans, after boiling, are 63% water, 25% carbohydrates, and 10% protein and contain little fat. In a reference amount of {{convert|100|g}}, boiled white common beans supply about 139 calories and are a rich source of [[folate]] and manganese, with moderate amounts of [[thiamine]] and several dietary [[mineral (nutrient)|minerals]].

===Dry beans===
Dry beans will keep indefinitely if stored in a cool, dry place, but as time passes, their [[Nutrition|nutritive]] value and [[Flavor (taste)|flavor]] degrade, and cooking times lengthen. Dried beans are almost always cooked by [[boiling]], often after being soaked in water for several hours. While the soaking is not strictly necessary, it shortens cooking time and results in more evenly textured beans. In addition, soaking beans removes 5 to 10% of the gas-producing sugars that can cause [[flatulence]] for some people.<ref>Rombauer, Irma S. ''The Joy of Cooking''. Scribner, {{ISBN|0-684-81870-1}}, p. 271.</ref> The methods include simple overnight soaking and the ''power-soak'' method, in which beans are boiled for three minutes and then set aside for 2–4 hours. Before cooking, the soaking water is drained off and discarded. Dry common beans take longer to cook than most [[Pulse (legume)|pulses]]: Cooking times vary from one to four hours but are substantially reduced with [[pressure cooking]].

In Mexico, Central America, and South America, the traditional spice used with beans is ''[[epazote]]'', which is also said to aid digestion. In East Asia, a type of seaweed, ''[[kombu]]'', is added to beans as they cook for the same purpose. Salt, sugar, and acidic foods such as tomatoes may harden uncooked beans, resulting in seasoned beans at the expense of slightly longer cooking times.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Dry beans may also be bought cooked and [[canning|canned]] as [[refried beans]], or whole with [[water]], [[edible salt|salt]], and sometimes [[sugar]].

===Green beans and wax beans===
{{main|Green bean}}

The three commonly known types of green beans are string, or snap, beans, which may be round or have a flat pod; stringless or French beans, which lack a tough, fibrous string running along the length of the pod; and runner beans, which belong to a separate species, ''[[Phaseolus coccineus]]''. Green beans may have a purple rather than green pod, which changes to green when cooked.<ref name="Press 2002">{{cite book |author=Press, L. |url=https://archive.org/details/beanbookover70re0000unse_s1h8/page/n6/mode/1up?view=theater |title=The Bean Book: Over Seventy Incredible Recipes |publisher=Globe Pequot Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-1-58574-473-2 |location=Guilford, Conn. |url-access=registration}}{{Page needed|date=December 2022}}</ref> Wax beans are ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris'' beans that have a yellow<ref name="Phillips 1993" /> or white pod. Wax bean cultivars are commonly grown;<ref name="Phillips 1993" /> the plants are often of the bush, or dwarf, form.<ref name="Phillips 1993" />

As the name implies, snap beans break easily when the pod is bent, giving off a distinct audible snapping sound. The pods of snap beans (green, yellow, and purple) are harvested when they are rapidly growing, fleshy, tender (not tough and stringy), and bright in color, and the seeds are small and underdeveloped (8 to 10 days after flowering).

Green beans and wax beans are often [[Steaming|steamed]], boiled, [[Stir frying|stir-fried]], or [[Baking|baked]] in [[casserole]]s.

===Shelling beans===
Shell, shelled, or shelling beans are beans removed from their pods before being cooked or dried. Common beans can be used as shell beans, but the term also refers to other species of beans whose pods are not typically eaten, such as [[lima bean]]s, [[soybean]]s, [[pea]]s, and [[fava bean]]s. Fresh shell beans are nutritionally similar to dry beans but are prepared more like vegetables, often steamed, fried, or made into soups.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

===Popping beans===
The ''nuña'' is an Andean subspecies, ''P.&nbsp;v.'' subsp. ''nunas'' (formerly ''P.&nbsp;vulgaris'' Nuñas group), with round, multicolored seeds that resemble pigeon eggs. When cooked on high heat, the bean explodes, exposing the inner part in the manner of [[popcorn]] and other [[puffed grain]]s.

=== Other uses ===
Bean leaves have been used to trap [[Bed bug|bedbug]]s in houses.<ref name=Szyndler>{{cite journal |author1=Szyndler, M.W. |author2=Haynes, K.F. |author3=Potter, M.F. |author4=Corn, R.M. |author5=Loudon, C. |year=2013 |title=Entrapment of bed bugs by leaf trichomes inspires microfabrication of biomimetic surfaces |journal=Journal of the Royal Society Interface |volume=10 |issue=83 |issn=1742-5662 |doi=10.1098/rsif.2013.0174 |pmid=23576783 |article-number=20130174 |pmc=3645427}}</ref> Microscopic hairs ([[trichome]]s) on the bean leaves entrap the insects.<ref name=Szyndler/>

Beans have been used as devices in various methods of [[divination]] since ancient times. Fortune-telling using beans is called [[favomancy]].

''P. vulgaris'' has been found to bio-accumulate [[zinc]], [[manganese]], and [[iron]] and have some tolerance to their respective toxicities, suggesting suitability for natural bio-remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils.<ref name= Mazumdar>{{cite journal |author1=Mazumdar, K. |author2=Das, S. |year=2015 |title=Phytoremediation of Pd, Zn, Fe, and Mg with 25 wetland plant species from a paper mill contaminated site in North East India |journal=Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=197–209 |doi=10.1007/s11356-014-3377-7 |pmid=25103945 |bibcode=2015ESPR...22..701M |s2cid=3482592}}</ref>{{primary source inline|date=February 2021}}

==In culture==
In 1528, Pope [[Pope Clement VII|Clemente VII]] received some white beans, which thrived. Five years later, he gave a bag of beans as a present to his niece, [[Catherine de' Medici|Catherine]], on her wedding to [[Henry II of France|Prince Henri of France]], along with the county of the [[Lauragais]], whose county town is [[Castelnaudary]], now synonymous with the white bean dish of [[cassoulet]].<ref name=":0" />

==Gallery==
{{gallery|mode=packed
|Pot-o-chili.jpg|[[Chili con carne]]
|Succotash.jpg|[[Succotash]]
|Bowl_of_cassoulet.JPG|[[Cassoulet]]
|Fasole cu afumatura si ardei.jpg|Beans with smoked pork, a traditional [[Romania]]n dish
}}

== See also ==
* [[Adzuki bean]]
* [[Chickpea]]
* [[Dal]]
* [[Lentil]]
* [[List of dried foods]]
* [[List of diseases of the common bean]]
* [[Mung bean]]
* [[Organic beans]]
* ''[[Vicia faba]]'', or broad bean

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links}}
*{{Wikispecies-inline}}
* '''''<small>{{Portal-inline|Food}}</small>'''''
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{{Phaseolus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q42339}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Phaseolus|vulgaris]]
[[Category:Edible legumes]]
[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]