Varieties - Beans, Peas & Lentils

Fabaceae is a very large family in the order Fables, including three subfamilies, at
least 630 genera and more than 18,860 species. Pretty much all are toxic, very mildly
to extremely deadly, but out of that list of species there are a few important culinary
plants, the most important of which you will find listed below.
We have identified only one edible Fabale outside family Fabaceae, and have listed it
under "exotics" to avoid a separate page.

Everyday Varieties - Likely to be found in North

American markets.
Exotic Varieties - Very difficult to find in North America.
Legumes

Bean Family Tree - For the botanically inclined.

Everyday Varieties
Magnolias

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Acacia

- [Cha-om (Thai); Su pout ywet

(Burmese); Senegalia pennata | Mimosa (flowers), Thorntrees;
Wattles (Australia); Leguminosae and
other Senegalia (Formerly Acacia)
species]
Native to tropical and subtropical
climates worldwide, these shrubs
and small trees are well known for
wood, medicinals, decoratives,
tannin, incense, flavorings and gum
arabic (Senegalia senegal) but not
particularly as food plants. Acacia is
used as a flavoring in various
American soft drinks, energy drinks, candies and chewing gums.
The foliage and bark of many acacias contain psychoactive

alkaloids. Photo of A. pennata by J.M.Garg distributed under

license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.

Feathery leaf shoots of Senegalia pennata (a vine-like climbing

tree) are used in omelets, curries, soups and stir fries in Thailand,
Burma and Laos. Acacia omelets are particularly popular as a side
dish or added to soups in Thailand.
Beans from the pods of some acacia species are used as food. In
mexico, beans called Guajes or Huajes, are used an a wide variety
of ways in Mexico, raw, cooked, toasted with salt as snacks and
ground for fritters or moles. These can sometimes be found as
whole long pods in markets serving Mexican communities. Fresh
pods may be green or red and dried pods are also sold. In India and
Southeast Asia Black Cutch (Senegalia catechu) seeds are used as a
protein source.
In India acacia fruits are used to make an alcoholic beverage said to
be favored by both people and elephants. Elephants are notorious
drunks

Agati

- [Dok Kae (Thai); So dua (Viet); Agati, Agasti, agase,

heta, gaach-munga (India); Bunga turi, Kembang turi
(Indonesia); Sesbania grandiflorra (White) | Doc sano (Thai);
Dien dien gai, Dien thanh gai (Viet); Danchi, Dunchi
(India) Sesbania
bispinosa (Yellow)]
Native to Southeast Asia and
tropical India, flowers of this tree
are used as a vegetable throughout
the region. In Thailand flowers are
cooked in curries and served raw or
steamed with a fish sauce dip. In
India and Sri Lanka young pods and
leaves are also used. The trees
require hot humid growing
conditions and are extremely sensitive to frost, so are not grown in

California.
The photo specimens, neatly laid out in a foam tray, were purchased
from the frozen food cases of a Philippine market in Los Angeles.
They were about 2-1/4 inches long on average. They are also
available here packed in brine in jars.
A small yellow species, S. bispinosa, is also used in Vietnam and
Thailand but is less popular. That species is grown widely in India
for non-culinary purposes. A red variety of the larger S.
grandiflorra also exists. Details and Cooking.

Alfalfa

- [Medicago sativa]
Alfalfa, which originated in the Near East, is an important crop for
animal feed and forage in the U.S. as well as for replenishing
nitrogen in soil depleted by other crops. Direct human consumption
is pretty much confined to sprouts, popular for inclusion in
sandwiches and vegetarian salads.
The alfalfa seed is very tiny, so the
sprout is tiny as well.

Asian & African

Beans - [Genus Vigna]
While common beans are from the
New World, these beans have been
harvested in India since prehistoric
times and were probably taken to China from there. A few members
of the cowpea species appear to be native to Africa, and were
brought to the American South with the slave trade.
Azuki Beans - [Azuki, Adzuki (Japan); Xiao Dou (China); Vigna
angularis]
These small red beans (say
"aZOOky") are native to Asia and
grown primarily in China, Japan and
Thailand. They are most known in