We come across a variety of different types of beans on supermarket shelves. While green beans and kidney beans are easy to tell apart, both broad beans and white beans have light seeds. How exactly do they differ?
What is the difference between broad beans and white beans?
The difference between broad beans and white beans lies in their origin, size and color, cooking time and taste. Broad beans, from the vetch genus, are larger and gray-green, while white beans, from the Phaseolus genus, are creamy white and smaller. White beans take longer to cook and have a slightly nutty flavor, while broad beans cook faster and taste milder.
Where do broad beans and white beans come from?
Beans are legumes. Broad beans belong to the vetch genus and are therefore closely related to peas and lentils. The common bean, on the other hand, from which most other bean species known today and also all white beans come, falls under the Phaseolus genus. The broad beans come from Asia, the common bean from America. The broad bean has been known in Europe for a long time, the common bean only came to Europe with the conquest of America.
How do broad beans and white beans differ in appearance?
The seeds of broad beans are gray-green. White beans, on the other hand, are creamy white and significantly smaller than broad beans. Broad beans can be purchased as whole pods, both fresh and frozen. You can hardly buy white beans as pods in Germany, instead they are available boiled in cans or jars or dried.
How are broad beans and white beans prepared?
The preparation of broad and white beans isvery similarand depends on the form in which they are purchased: fresh, boiled or dried. The easiest way is to prepare boiled beans. They are processed directly according to the respective recipe. Fresh broad beans must be removed from their shells before preparation. Dried beans must be soaked in sufficient water for several hours before cooking. On the one hand, this makes them easier to digest and on the other hand, it shortens the cooking time.
How long do broad beans and white beans cook?
White beans should be soaked overnight, at leasttwelve hours. After the soaking time, it is important to rinse them thoroughly. Then you have to cook them for 45 to 60 minutes. Cooked white beans are very creamy and can be easily made into purees or dips. White beans such as the cannellini beans from Italy taste slightly nutty.
The cooking time of broad beans is significantly shorter. Dried soaked broad beans are cooked after aboutfive to ten minutes. Unlike white beans, you don't have to cook them separately, you can add them directly to the stew. Broad beans taste very mild and less sweet than white beans.
Tip
Different nutrients in broad beans and white beans
Beans and other legumes are very he althy. They contain a lot of vegetable protein and little fat. Compared to white beans, broad beans contain more fiber and more vitamin E, but slightly less vitamin C. However, the differences are negligible, the fact is that both beans are very beneficial to he alth.
