B – ‘Broad Beans’

The abc of Food Cooking and People

Broad Beans

🌿 Broad Beans – The Old World’s Native Legume

Haricot beans crossed the Atlantic much later. Before the Americas reshaped Europe’s gardens and tables, there were broad beans. They are the original Old World bean. This legume is known botanically as Vicia faba. It is affectionately called fave in Italy or fava in many cuisines. This humble legume sustained Mediterranean civilisations for centuries.

Broad beans were plump and firm in their thick, velvety pods. They were a staple alongside peas across the region. They filled bowls, breads, and stews. This was long before the slender green beans of the New World arrived in the 15th and 16th centuries. (Essential Alternatives – kooks stove talk).

🌱 Fresh, Shelled, or Dried—A Seasonal Marker

When young and tender, broad beans can be enjoyed whole—pod and all—lightly steamed or tossed into spring salads. As they mature, the beans are shelled. The tough outer skins are removed after cooking. This process reveals a creamy, earthy core prized in soups, dips, and purees.

They’re available in many forms: fresh, frozen, and dried, each carrying its own culinary rhythm. In Italy, the arrival of fave signals the beginning of spring. They are often eaten raw with Pecorino. Alternatively, they can be sautéed with olive oil and mint.

Broad beans are known as fava, fave, or horse beans. They are deeply rooted in tradition. They are one of the few beans Europeans can truly call their own. (kooks cookery Shop).

📍 Botanical Name: Vicia faba

🥣 Also Known As: Fava, Fave (Italian), Horse Beans

🌍 Historical Significance: Only Old World bean; staple before New World varieties arrived

🌿 Broad Beans – The Old World Original

Long before haricot beans, broad beans fed the Mediterranean.

Also known as fava or fave, these tender green pods mark the start of spring. They carry centuries of flavourful history.

#KooksSecrets #BroadBeans #FavaBeans #OldWorldFlavour #SpringHarvest

🥮 Final Thought

Broad beans are more than a springtime crop. They’re a living link to culinary history. Each tender bite bridges the ancient and the everyday.