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{{Short description|Seed of several plants in the legume family}}
{{good article}}
{{Other uses}}{{pp-semi-indef}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2024}}

[[File:French beans J1.JPG|thumb|right|[[French bean]] pods on a plant]]

A '''bean''' is the seed of plants in many [[Genus|genera]] of the [[legume]] family ([[Fabaceae]]) used as a [[vegetable]] for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are sold fresh or preserved through [[drying]] (a ''pulse''). Beans have been cultivated since the seventh millennium BCE in Thailand, and since the second millennium BCE in Europe and in Peru. Most beans, with the exception of peas, are summer crops. As legumes, the plants [[Nitrogen fixation|fix nitrogen]] and form seeds with a high protein content. They are produced on a scale of millions of tons annually in many countries; India is the largest producer.

Dried beans are traditionally soaked and boiled, and used in traditional dishes throughout the world including salads, soups, and stews such as [[chili con carne]]. Some are processed into [[tofu]]; others are fermented to form [[tempeh]]. Guar beans are used for [[guar gum|their gum]]. The unripe seedpods of some varieties are also eaten whole as [[green bean]]s or ''[[edamame]]'' (immature [[soybean]]). Some types are [[sprouting|sprouted]] to form beansprouts.

Many fully ripened beans contain toxins like [[phytohaemagglutinin]] and require cooking to make them safe to eat. Many species contain indigestible [[oligosaccharide]]s that produce [[flatulence]]. Beans have traditionally been seen as a food of the poor.

== Etymology and naming ==

The word "bean" and its Germanic [[cognate]]s (e.g. [[German language|German]] ''[[wikt:Bohne#Noun|Bohne]]'') have existed in common use in [[West Germanic languages]] since before the 12th century,<ref>{{cite web |title=bean (n.) |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/bean |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |access-date=27 November 2024}}</ref> referring to [[Vicia faba|broad beans]], [[chickpea]]s, and other pod-borne seeds. This was long before the [[New World]] genus ''[[Phaseolus]]'' was known in Europe.  With the [[Columbian exchange]] of domestic plants between Europe and the Americas, use of the word was extended to pod-borne seeds of ''Phaseolus'', such as the [[common bean]] and the [[runner bean]], and the related genus ''[[Vigna]]''. The term has long been applied generally to seeds of similar form, such as Old World [[soybean]]s and [[Lupinus|lupins]], and to the fruits or seeds of unrelated plants such as [[coffee bean]]s and [[vanilla|vanilla beans]].<ref name="AHD">{{cite dictionary |title=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |url=https://ahdictionary.com/ |access-date=3 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925104737/https://ahdictionary.com/ |archive-date=25 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This article discusses only legumes.

== History ==

{{see also|Columbian exchange}}

Beans in an early cultivated form were grown in Thailand from the early seventh millennium BCE, predating ceramics.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gorman |first=C.F. |title=Hoabinhian: A pebble-tool complex with early plant associations in southeast Asia |journal=Science |year=1969  |volume=163 |issue=3868 |pages=671–673 |doi=10.1126/science.163.3868.671 |bibcode=1969Sci...163..671G |s2cid=34052655 |pmid=17742735}}</ref> Beans were deposited with the dead in [[ancient Egypt]]. Not until the second millennium BCE did cultivated, large-seeded broad beans appear in the [[Aegean civilization|Aegean region]], [[Iberia]], and transalpine Europe.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |last3=Weiss |first3=Ehud |title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |date=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-954906-1 |page=114}}</ref> In the ''[[Iliad]]'' (8th century BCE), there is a passing mention of beans and [[chickpea]]s cast on the threshing floor.<ref>"And as in some great threshing-floor go leaping From a broad pan the black-skinned beans or peas." (''[[Iliad]]'' xiii, 589).</ref>

The oldest-known domesticated beans in the Americas were found in [[Guitarrero Cave]], [[Peru]], dated to around the second millennium BCE.<ref name=Chazan/> Genetic analyses of the common bean ''Phaseolus'' show that it originated in [[Mesoamerica]], and subsequently spread southward.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Elena |last1=Bitocchi |first2=Laura |last2=Nanni |first3=Elisa |last3=Bellucci |first4=Monica |last4=Rossi |first5=Alessandro |last5=Giardini |first6=Pierluigi Spagnoletti |last6=Zeuli |first7=Giuseppina |last7=Logozzo |first8=Jens |last8=Stougaard |first9=Phillip |last9=McClean |first10=Giovanna |last10=Attene |first11=Roberto |last11=Papa |display-authors=5 |title=Mesoamerican origin of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is revealed by sequence data |date=3 April 2012 |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=109 |issue=14 |pages=E788–E796 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1108973109 |pmid=22393017 |pmc=3325731 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Most of the kinds of beans commonly eaten today are part of the genus ''Phaseolus'', which originated in the Americas. The first European to encounter them was [[Christopher Columbus]], while exploring what may have been the [[Bahamas]], and saw them growing in fields. Five kinds of ''[[Phaseolus]]'' beans were domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples, selecting [[Dehiscence (botany)|pods that did not open]] and scatter their seeds when ripe: common beans (''[[Phaseolus vulgaris|P. vulgaris]]'') grown from Chile to the northern part of the United States; lima and sieva beans (''[[Phaseolus lunatus|P. lunatus]]''); and the less widely distributed teparies (''[[Phaseolus acutifolius|P. acutifolius]]''), scarlet runner beans (''[[Phaseolus coccineus|P. coccineus]]''), and polyanthus beans.{{sfn|Kaplan|2008|page=30}}

[[Pre-Columbian era|Pre-Columbian]] peoples as far north as the Atlantic seaboard grew beans in the "[[Three Sisters (agriculture)|Three Sisters]]" method of [[companion planting]]. The beans were interplanted with [[maize]] and [[Cucurbita|squash]].<ref name="Mt. Pleasant 2006">{{cite book |last=Mt. Pleasant |first=Jane |editor1=Staller, John E. |editor2=Tykot, Robert H. |editor3=Benz, Bruce F. |title=Histories of Maize: Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Prehistory, Linguistics, Biogeography, Domestication, and Evolution of Maize |publisher=Academic Press |location=Amsterdam |year=2006 |pages=529–537 |isbn=978-0-1236-9364-8 |chapter=The science behind the Three Sisters mound system: An agronomic assessment of an indigenous agricultural system in the northeast}}</ref> Beans were cultivated across Chile in Pre-Hispanic times, likely as far south as the [[Chiloé Archipelago]].<ref name=Alimentarias>{{Cite book |title=Chile: Plantas alimentarias Prehispánicas |last1=Pardo B. |first1=Oriana |publisher=Ediciones Parina |year=2014 |isbn=978-9569120022 |edition=2015 |location=[[Arica]], Chile |pages=162 |language=Spanish |last2=Pizarro |first2=José Luis}}</ref>

== Diversity ==

=== Taxonomic range ===

Beans are legumes, but from many different genera, native to different regions.<ref>{{Cite web  |date=28 October 2019 |title=Legumes and Pulses |url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/legumes-pulses/ |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=The Nutrition Source}}</ref> 

{|class="wikitable"
|+
! style="width: 70px;" |Genus
! style="width: 250px;" |Species and common varieties
! style="width: 180px;" |Probable home region
! style="width: 180px;" |Distribution, climate
! style="width: 250px;" |Notes
|-
|''[[Phaseolus]]''
|
* ''[[Phaseolus vulgaris|P. vulgaris]]'': [[Kidney bean|kidney]], [[Pinto bean|pinto]], [[Navy bean|navy]] (cannellini, haricot/[[Green bean|French]]/pole/bush), [[Black turtle bean|black]], [[Cranberry bean|Borlotti beans]]
* ''[[Phaseolus lunatus|P. lunatus]]'': Lima beans
* ''[[Phaseolus coccineus|P. coccineus]]'': runner, flat beans
* ''[[Phaseolus acutifolius|P. acutifolius]]'': tepary bean
|[[Americas|The Americas]]
|[[Tropics|Tropical]], [[Subtropics|subtropical]], [[Temperate climate|warm temperate]]
|Some contain high levels of toxic [[Phytohaemagglutinin|phytohemagglutinin]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nyombaire |first1=G. |last2=Siddiq |first2=M. |last3=Dolan |first3=K. |date=2007 |title=Effect of soaking and cooking on the oligosaccharides and lectins of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) |url=https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201300797256 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723144815/https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US201300797256 |archive-date=23 July 2021 |journal=Annual Report}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nciri |first1=Nader |last2=Cho |first2=Namjun |date=2017-12-15 |title=New research highlights: Impact of chronic ingestion of white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Beldia) on small-intestinal disaccharidase activity in Wistar rats |journal=Toxicology Reports |volume=5 |pages=46–55 |doi=10.1016/j.toxrep.2017.12.016 |issn=2214-7500 |pmc=5735304 |pmid=29270365}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Yufeng |last2=Liu |first2=Jiameng |last3=Huang |first3=Yatao |last4=Li |first4=Minmin |last5=Lu |first5=Jia |last6=Jin |first6=Nuo |last7=He |first7=Yan |last8=Fan |first8=Bei |display-authors=5 |date=2019-01-01 |title=Phytohemagglutinin content in fresh kidney bean in China |journal=International Journal of Food Properties |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=405–413 |doi=10.1080/10942912.2019.1590399 |issn=1094-2912 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Vigna]]''
|
* ''[[Mung bean|V. radiata]]'': mung bean 
* ''[[Vigna mungo|V. mungo]]'': urad bean
* [[Cowpea|''V. unguiculata'' (Cowpeas)]]: yardlong bean, black-eyed peas 
* ''[[Vigna aconitifolia|V. aconitifolia]]'': moth bean 
* ''[[Vigna angularis|V. angularis]]'': adzuki beans 
|Mostly [[South Asia]]
|Equatorial, pantropical, warm  subtropical, hot temperate
|
|-
|''[[Cajanus]]''
|''[[Pigeon pea|C. cajan]]'': pigeon pea
|[[Indian subcontinent|Indian Subcontinent]]
|[[Pantropical]], equatorial
|
|-
|''[[Lens (plant)|Lens]]''
|''[[Lens culinaris|L. culinaris]]'': red, green, and Puy lentils
|[[Near East]]/[[Levant]]
|Temperate, subtropical, cool tropical
|
|-
|''[[Cicer]]''
|''[[Chickpea|C. arietinum]]'': garbanzo beans
|[[Turkey]]/Levant/Near East
|Temperate, subtropical, cool tropical
|
|-
|''[[Vicia]]''
|
* ''[[Vicia faba|V. faba]]'': broad beans
* ''[[Vicia ervilia|V. ervilia]]'': bitter vetch
* [[Vicia sativa|''V. sativa'':]] common vetch
|Near East
|Subtropical, temperate
|Causes [[Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency|favism]] in susceptible people.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Belsey |first=Mark A. |date=1973 |title=The epidemiology of favism |journal=Bulletin of the World Health Organization |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=1–13 |issn=0042-9686 |pmc=2481045 |pmid=4541143}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Tarhani |first1=Fariba |last2=Nezami |first2=Alireza |last3=Heidari |first3=Ghobad |last4=Abdolkarimi |first4=Babak |date=2020-08-18 |title=Clinical Manifestations and Therapeutic Findings of the Children with Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency Presenting Favism |journal=Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets |volume=21 |issue=6 |pages=1125–1129 |doi=10.2174/1871530320999200818182905 |pmid=32811422 |s2cid=221182334}}</ref> 
|-
|''[[Glycine (plant)|Glycine]]''
|''[[Glycine max|G. max]]'': soybean
|[[East Asia]]
|Hot temperate, Subtropical, cool tropical
|
|-
|''[[Macrotyloma]]''
|''[[Macrotyloma uniflorum|M. uniflorum]]'': horsegram
|South Asia
|Tropical, subtropical
|
|-
|''[[Mucuna]]''
|''[[Mucuna pruriens|M. pruriens]]:'' velvet bean
|Tropical Asia and [[Africa]]
|Tropical, warm subtropical
|Contains [[L-DOPA]],<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Raina |first1=Archana P. |last2=Khatri |first2=Renu |date=2011 |title=Quantitative Determination of L-DOPA in Seeds of Mucuna Pruriens Germplasm by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography |journal=Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences |volume=73 |issue=4 |pages=459–462 |doi=10.4103/0250-474X.95651 |doi-broken-date=11 July 2025 |doi-access=free |pmc=3374567 |pmid=22707835}}</ref> and smaller amounts of other psychoactive compounds. Can cause itching and rashes on contact.<ref name="Andersen 2015">{{cite journal |vauthors=Andersen HH, Elberling J, Arendt-Nielsen L |title=Human surrogate models of histaminergic and non-histaminergic itch |journal=Acta Dermato-Venereologica |volume=95 |issue=7 |pages=771–77 |date=September 2015 |pmid=26015312 |doi=10.2340/00015555-2146 |url=http://vbn.aau.dk/files/219083590/4442_9.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref>
|-
|''[[Lupinus]]''
|
* ''[[Lupinus albus|L. albus]]'': white lupin
* ''[[Lupinus mutabilis|L. mutabilis]]'': tarwi/Andean lupin
|The Mediterranean, [[Balkans]], Levant  (''albus''), [[Andes|The Andes]] ''(mutabilis'') 
|Subtropical, temperate
|Requires soaking to remove toxins.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schrenk |first1=Dieter |last2=Bodin |first2=Laurent |last3=Chipman |first3=James Kevin |last4=del Mazo |first4=Jesús |last5=Grasl-Kraupp |first5=Bettina |last6=Hogstrand |first6=Christer |last7=Hoogenboom |first7=Laurentius (Ron) |last8=Leblanc |first8=Jean-Charles |last9=Nebbia |first9=Carlo Stefano |last10=Nielsen |first10=Elsa |last11=Ntzani |first11=Evangelia |date=2019-11-05 |title=Scientific opinion on the risks for animal and human health related to the presence of quinolizidine alkaloids in feed and food, in particular in lupins and lupin-derived products |journal=EFSA Journal |volume=17 |issue=11 |pages=e05860 |doi=10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5860 |issn=1831-4732 |pmc=7008800 |pmid=32626161}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Ceratonia]]''
|''[[Ceratonia siliqua|C. siliqua]]'': carob bean
|Mediterranean, [[Middle East]]
|Subtropical, arid subtropical, hot temperate
|
|-
|''[[Canavalia]]''
|
* ''[[Canavalia gladiata|C. gladiata:]]'' sword bean
* ''[[Canavalia ensiformis|C. ensiformis]]'': Jack beans
|South Asia or Africa (''C. gladiata''),  [[Brazil]] and South America (''C. ensiformis'') 
|Tropical
|
|-
|''[[Cyamopsis]]''
|''[[Cyamopsis tetragonoloba|C. tetragonoloba]]'': guar bean 
|Africa or South Asia
|Tropical, semi-arid
|Source of [[Guar gum]]
|-
|''[[Lablab]]''
|''[[Lablab purpureus|L. purpureus]]'': hyacinth/lablab bean
|South Asia, Indian Subcontinent or Africa
|Tropical
|
|-
|''[[Psophocarpus]]''
|''[[Psophocarpus tetragonolobus|P. tetranoglobulus]]:'' winged bean
|[[New Guinea]]
|Tropical, equatorial
|
|}

=== Conservation of cultivars ===

The [[biodiversity]] of bean cultivars is threatened by modern plant breeding, which selects a small number of the most productive varieties. Efforts are being made to conserve the [[germplasm]] of older varieties in different countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Fiore |first=Maria Carola |display-authors=etal |title=Preserving biodiversity in marginal rural areas: Assessment of morphological and genetic variability of a Sicilian common bean germplasm collection |journal=Plants |volume=9 |issue=8 |year=2020 |page=989 |doi=10.3390/plants9080989 |doi-access=free |pmid=32759817 |pmc=7463873 |bibcode=2020Plnts...9..989F |url=https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/9/8/989/pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Debouck |first=D. G. |title=Conservation of Phaseolus beans genetic resources: A strategy |location=Rome, Italy |publisher=Global Crop Diversity Trust |year=2014 |url=https://www.croptrust.org/fileadmin/uploads/croptrust/Documents/Ex_Situ_Crop_Conservation_Strategies/Crop_Conservation_Strategy_Bean.pdf}}</ref> As of 2023, the Norwegian [[Svalbard Global Seed Vault]] holds more than 40,000 [[Accession number (cultural property)|accessions]] of ''Phaseolus'' bean species.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.seedvault.no/about/the-seeds/ |title=The seeds |publisher=Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food |date=2023 |accessdate=5 November 2023}}</ref>

== Cultivation ==

=== Agronomy ===

Many beans are summer crops that need warm temperatures to grow, with peas as an exception. Legumes are capable of [[nitrogen fixation]] and hence need less fertiliser than most plants. Maturity is typically 55–60 days from planting to harvest.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Shurtleff |first1=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zWW4AQAAQBAJ&q=bean+maturity+55%E2%80%9360+days&pg=PA452 |title=Early Named Soybean Varieties in the United States and Canada: Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook |last2=Aoyagi |first2=Akiko |date=1 October 2013 |publisher=Soyinfo Center |isbn=9781928914600 |access-date=18 November 2017 |via=Google Books}}</ref> As the pods mature, they turn yellow and dry up, and the beans inside change from green to their mature colour. Many beans are [[vine]]s needing external support, such as "bean cages" or poles. Native Americans customarily grew them along with corn and squash, the tall stalks acting as support for the beans.<ref>{{cite book |last=Schneider |first=Meg |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6O4sOoTqV60C&q=native+americans+corn+beans+squash&pg=PA114 |title=New York Yesterday & Today |publisher=Voyageur Press |isbn=9781616731267 |page=114 |access-date=18 November 2017 |via=Google Books}}</ref>

More recently, the commercial "bush bean" which does not require support and produces all its pods simultaneously has been developed.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Germination Of a Bean |url=https://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec13macro/Gerhardt_Final.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artdec13macro/Gerhardt_Final.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |access-date=18 November 2017 |website=Microscopy-uk.org.uk}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" widths="200" heights="160">
File:Bean Flower in Bangladesh.jpg|Flower with pollinator
File:Lablab bean and bean flowers.JPG|[[Lablab]] flowers and fruits
File:Field beans near Pendomer - geograph.org.uk - 1463701.jpg|[[Vicia faba|Broad beans]] ready for harvest
</gallery>

=== Production ===

{{main|Legume#Production}}
{{owidslider
|start        = 2023
|list         = Template:OWID/bean production#gallery
|location      = commons
|caption      =
|title        =
|language     =
|file         = [[File:bean production, World, 2023 (cropped).svg|link=|thumb|upright=1.6|Bean production]]
|startingView = World
}}

[[File:Beans in a supermarket.jpg|thumb|Beans in a market]]

The production data for legumes are published by [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]] in three categories:
# Pulses dry: all mature and dry seeds of leguminous plants except soybeans and groundnuts.
# Oil crops: soybeans and groundnuts.
# Fresh vegetable: immature green fresh fruits of leguminous plants.

The following is a summary of FAO data.<ref>FAO STAT [http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC Production/Crops].</ref>

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Production of legumes (million metric tons) 
!Crops<br/>[FAO code]<ref>See {{slink|Legume|Classification}}.</ref>
!1961
!1981
!2001
!2015
!2016
!Ratio<br/><small>2016 /1961</small>
!Remarks
|-
|Total pulses (dry) [1726]
|40.78
|41.63
|56.23
|77.57
|81.80
|2.01
|{{left}} Per capita production decreased.<br/>(Population grew 2.4×)
|-
! colspan="8" |Oil crops (dry)
|-
|Soybeans [236]
|26.88
|88.53
|177.02
|323.20
|334.89
|12.46
|{{left}} Increase driven by animal feeds and oil.
|-
|Groundnuts, with shell [242]
|14.13
|20.58
|35.82
|45.08
|43.98
|3.11
|
|-
! colspan="8" |Fresh vegetables (80–90% water)
|-
|Beans, green [414]
|2.63
|4.09
|10.92
|23.12
|23.60
|8.96
|
|-
|Peas, green [417]
|3.79
|5.66
|12.41
|19.44
|19.88
|5.25
|
|}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Top producers, pulses [1726]{{efn|All legumes dry.}}<br/>(million metric tons)
|-
!
!Country
!2016
!Share
|-
!Total
!
!81.80
!100%
|-
!1
|India
|17.56
|21.47%
|-
!2
|Canada
|8.20
|10.03%
|-
!3
|Myanmar
|6.57
|8.03%
|-
!4
|China
|4.23
|5.17%
|-
!5
|Nigeria
|3.09
|3.78%
|-
!6
|Russia
|2.94
|3.60%
|-
!7
|Ethiopia
|2.73
|3.34%
|-
!8
|Brazil
|2.62
|3.21%
|-
!9
|Australia
|2.52
|3.09%
|-
!10
|United States
|2.44
|2.98%
|-
!11
|Niger
|2.06
|2.51%
|-
!12
|Tanzania
|2.00
|2.45%
|-
!
|Others
|24.82
|30.34%
|}

The world leader in production of dry beans (''[[Phaseolus]]'' spp),{{efn|Dry beans does not include broad beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils.}} is India, followed by Myanmar (Burma) and Brazil. In Africa, the most important producer is Tanzania.<ref name=FAODEF>FAO [http://www.fao.org/es/faodef/fdef04e.htm Pulses and Derived Products] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207071652/http://www.fao.org/es/faodef/fdef04e.htm |date=7 December 2015 }}.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Top ten dry beans (Phaseolus spp) producers, 2020
|-
!Rank
! Country
! Production<br/>([[tonne]]s)
! Footnote
|-
!1.
| {{IND}}||align=right|5,460,000||align=right|FAO figure
|-
!2.
| {{MMR}}||align=right|3,053,012||align=right|Official figure
|-
!3.
| {{BRA}}||align=right|3,035,290||align=right|Aggregated data
|-
!4.
| {{USA}}||align=right|1,495,180||align=right|Semi-official data
|-
!5.
| {{CHN}}||align=right|1,281,586||align=right|Official figure
|-
!6.
| {{TAN}}||align=right|1,267,648||align=right|FAO figure
|-
!7.
| {{MEX}}||align=right|1,056,071||align=right|Official figure
|-
!8.
| {{KEN}}||align=right|774,366||align=right|FAO figure
|-
!9.
| {{ARG}}||align=right|633,823||align=right|Semi-official data
|-
!10
| {{UGA}}||align=right|603,980||align=right|Official figure
|-
!Total
| {{noflag}}'''World'''||align=right|'''27,545,942'''||Aggregated data
|}

''Source: [[UN Food and Agriculture Organization]] (FAO)''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor |title=Major Food And Agricultural Commodities And Producers – Countries By Commodity |publisher=Fao.org |access-date=2 February 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906230329/http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx?PageID=567#ancor |archive-date=6 September 2015 |df=dmy}}</ref>

== Uses ==

=== Culinary ===

Beans can be cooked in a wide variety of [[casserole]]s, [[curries]], [[salad]]s, [[soup]]s, and [[stew]]s. They can be served whole or mashed alongside meat or toast, or included in an [[omelette]] or a [[flatbread]] wrap.<ref name="BBC Good Food">{{cite web |title=Healthy bean recipes |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-bean-recipes |publisher=[[BBC]] Good Food |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> Other options are to include them in a bake with a [[cheese sauce]], a Mexican-style [[chili con carne]], or to use them as a meat substitute in a [[hamburger|burger]] or in [[falafel]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=Our best bean recipes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/full_of_beans |publisher=[[BBC]] Food |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> The French [[cassoulet]] is a slow-cooked stew with haricot beans, sausage, pork, mutton, and preserved goose.<ref>{{cite book |last=David |first=Elizabeth |author-link=Elizabeth David |title=[[French Provincial Cooking]] |date=2008 |orig-date=1960 |location=London |publisher=Folio Society |oclc=809349711 |page=39}}</ref> Soybeans can be processed into bean curd ([[tofu]])<ref>{{cite web |title=What is tofu? |url=https://www.soya.be/what-is-tofu.php |website=Soya.be |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> or fermented into a cake ([[tempeh]]);<ref>{{cite web |title=What is tempeh? |url=https://www.soya.be/what-is-tempeh.php |website=Soya.be |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> these can be eaten fried or roasted like meat, or included in stir-fries, curries, and soups.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Powell |first1=Lori |last2=Jibrin |first2=Janis |title=Simple Roasted Tofu and Tempeh Recipe |url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/a47209/simple-roasted-tofu-and-tempeh-recipe/ |publisher=Good Housekeeping |access-date=2 January 2025 |date=7 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=54 tofu recipes |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/tofu-recipes |publisher=BBC Good Food |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tempeh |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/search?q=tempeh |publisher=BBC Good Food |access-date=2 January 2025}}</ref> Most dry beans contain 21–25% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]] by weight;<ref>{{cite web |title=Foundation Foods: Legumes and Legume Products |url=http://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-search/?type=Foundation&SFFoodCategory=Legumes%20and%20Legume%20Products |website=FoodData Central |access-date=24 February 2025}}</ref> dry [[soybean]]s are 36.5% protein by weight.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foundation Foods: Legumes and Legume Products |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174270/nutrients |website=FoodData Central |access-date=24 February 2025 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

<gallery class="center" mode="nolines" widths="200" heights="160">
File:Bean salad.jpg|Bean salad
File:Beans on toast - Vios 2024-01-09.jpg|Beans on toast, Greece
File:Senate bean soup, United States Capitol Visitor Center, April 2019.jpg|Bean soup
File:Bowl of cassoulet.JPG|[[Cassoulet]], France
File:Chili con carne 6.jpg|[[Chili con carne]] with meat, beans, and red peppers
File:Vegetarian black bean burger with homefries.jpg|Bean burger
File:Deep fried bean-curd curry (2894128615).jpg|[[Tofu|Bean curd]] curry
File:Tempeh tempe.jpg|[[Tempeh]] cakes ready to cook, Indonesia
</gallery>

=== Other ===

[[File:Cluster bean-guar-Cyamopsis psoralioides-Cyamopsis tetragonolobus-TAMIL NADU73.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Guar]] beans are used for [[guar gum|their gum]]. ]]

[[Guar]] beans are used for [[guar gum|their gum]], a [[galactomannan]] [[polysaccharide]]. It is used to thicken and stabilise foods and other products.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Thombare |first1=Nandkishore |last2=Jha |first2=Usha |last3=Mishra |first3=Sumit |last4=Siddiqui |first4=M.Z. |date=July 2016 |title=Guar gum as a promising starting material for diverse applications: A review |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141813016303099 |journal=International Journal of Biological Macromolecules |volume=88 |pages=361–372 |doi=10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2016.04.001 |pmid=27044346|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Health concerns ==

=== Toxins ===

{{Main|Phytohaemagglutinin|Soybean agglutinin}}

Some kinds of raw beans contain a harmful, flavourless toxin: the [[lectin]] [[phytohaemagglutinin]], which must be destroyed by cooking. Red [[kidney bean]]s are particularly toxic, but other types also pose risks of [[food poisoning]]. Even small quantities (4 or 5 raw beans) may cause severe stomachache, vomiting, and diarrhea. This risk does not apply to [[canned beans]] because they have already been cooked.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Natural toxins in food |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/natural-toxins-in-food |access-date=2022-04-07 |website=www.who.int |language=en}}</ref> A recommended method is to boil the beans for at least ten minutes; under-cooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans.<ref name="FDA">{{cite web |title=Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins Handbook: Phytohaemagglutinin |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm071092.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090709183309/https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm071092.htm |archive-date=9 July 2009 |access-date=11 July 2009 |work=[[Bad Bug Book]] |publisher=United States [[Food and Drug Administration]]}}</ref>

Beans need to be cooked thoroughly to destroy toxins; [[slow cooker|slow cooking]] is unsafe as it makes the beans soft without necessarily destroying the toxins.<ref name="FDA" /> A case of poisoning by [[Lima bean|butter beans]] used to make [[falafel]] was reported; the beans were used instead of traditional [[broad bean]]s or [[chickpea]]s, soaked and ground without boiling, made into patties, and [[Shallow frying|shallow fried]].<ref name="falafel">{{cite web |author=Vicky Jones |date=15 September 2008 |title=Beware of the beans: How beans can be a surprising source of food poisoning |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/beware-of-the-beans-how-beans-can-be-a-surprising-source-of-food-poisoning-931862.html |access-date=23 January 2016 |newspaper=The Independent}}</ref>

Bean poisoning is not well known in the medical community, and many cases may be misdiagnosed or never reported; figures appear not to be available. In the case of the United Kingdom [[National Poisons Information Service]], available only to health professionals, the dangers of beans other than red beans were not flagged {{As of|2008|lc=y}}.<ref name="falafel" />

[[Fermentation (food)|Fermentation]] is used in some parts of Africa to make beans more digestible by removing toxins.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Shimelis |first1=Emire Admassu |last2=Rakshit |first2=Sudip Kumar |date=2008 |title=Influence of natural and controlled fermentations on α-galactosides, antinutrients and protein digestibility of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |language=en |volume=43 |issue=4 |pages=658–665 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01506.x |issn=1365-2621}}</ref>

=== Other hazards ===

It is common to make [[beansprout]]s by letting some types of bean, often [[mung bean]]s, germinate in moist and warm conditions; beansprouts may be used as ingredients in cooked dishes, or eaten raw or lightly cooked. There have been many [[Beansprout#health concerns|outbreaks of disease]] from bacterial contamination, often by ''[[salmonella]]'', ''[[listeria]]'', and ''[[Escherichia coli]]'',  of beansprouts not thoroughly cooked,<ref>{{cite web |title=Sprouts: What You Should Know |url=http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/types/fruits/sprouts.html |access-date=23 January 2016 |newspaper=Foodsafety.gov}}</ref> some causing significant mortality.<ref>{{cite web |date=2011-07-27 |title=Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC): Update on outbreak in the EU (27 July 2011, 11:00) |url=http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/_layouts/forms/Review_DispForm.aspx?ID=602&List=a3216f4c%2Df040%2D4f51%2D9f77%2Da96046dbfd72 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315061038/http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/activities/sciadvice/_layouts/forms/Review_DispForm.aspx?ID=602&List=a3216f4c%2Df040%2D4f51%2D9f77%2Da96046dbfd72 |archive-date=2017-03-15 |website=European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control}}</ref>

Many types of bean, such as kidney beans, contain significant amounts of [[antinutrient]]s that inhibit some enzyme processes in the body. [[Phytic acid]], present in beans, interferes with bone growth and interrupts [[vitamin D]] metabolism.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Harrison |first1=D.C. |last2=Mellanby |first2=E |date=October 1939 |title=Phytic acid and the rickets-producing action of cereals |journal=Biochemical Journal |volume=33 |issue=10 |pages=1660–1680.1 |doi=10.1042/bj0331660 |pmc=1264631 |pmid=16747083}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Ramiel |last=Nagel |date=26 March 2010 |title=Living With Phytic Acid |url=http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/living-with-phytic-acid/ |access-date=23 January 2016 |newspaper=The Weston A Price Foundation}}</ref>

Many beans, including broad beans, navy beans, kidney beans and soybeans, contain large sugar molecules, [[oligosaccharide]]s (particularly [[raffinose]] and [[stachyose]]). A suitable oligosaccharide-cleaving [[enzyme]] is necessary to digest these. As the human digestive tract does not contain such enzymes, consumed oligosaccharides are digested by [[bacteria]] in the large intestine, producing gases such as methane, released as [[flatulence]].<ref>{{cite news |date=25 April 2006 |title=Health: Experts make flatulence-free bean |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4943486.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331165557/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4943486.stm |archive-date=31 March 2009 |access-date=25 February 2009 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Flatulence – Overview – Introduction |url=http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Flatulence/Pages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages/What-is-it.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221200429/http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flatulence/Pages/Introduction.aspx?url=Pages%2FWhat-is-it.aspx |archive-date=21 February 2009 |access-date=25 February 2009 |publisher=Nhs.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Harold |last=McGee |title=Food and Cooking |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2003 |isbn=978-0684843285 |page=486 |quote=Many legumes, especially soy, navy and lima beans, cause a sudden increase in bacterial activity and gas production a few hours after they're consumed. This is because they contain large amounts of carbohydrates that human digestive enzymes can't convert into absorbable sugars. These carbohydrates therefore leave the upper intestine unchanged and enter the lower reaches, where our resident bacterial population does the job we are unable to do.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Barham |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9783540674665/page/14 |title=The Science of Cooking |publisher=Springer |year=2001 |isbn=978-3-540-67466-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9783540674665/page/14 14] |quote=we do not possess any enzymes that are capable of breaking down larger sugars, such as raffinose etc. These 3, 4 and 5 ring sugars are made by plants especially as part of the energy storage system in seeds and beans. If these sugars are ingested, they can't be broken down in the intestines; rather, they travel into the colon, where various bacteria digest them |url-access=registration}}</ref>

== In human society ==

[[File:Carracci - Der Bohnenesser.jpeg|thumb|''[[The Beaneater]]'' (c.&nbsp;1584) by [[Annibale Carracci]] ]]

Beans have traditionally been considered a food of the poor, as farmers ate grains and vegetables, and obtained their protein from beans, whereas the wealthier classes could afford meat.<ref name="Albala 2007" /> European society has what Ken Albala calls "a class-based antagonism" to beans.<ref name="Albala 2007" /> 

Different cultures agree in disliking the flatulence that beans cause, and possess their own seasonings to attempt to remedy it: Mexico uses the herb [[epazote]]; India the aromatic resin [[asafoetida]]; Germany applies the herb [[Satureja|savory]]; in the Middle East, [[cumin]]; and Japan the seaweed [[kombu]].<ref name="Albala 2007" /> A substance for which there is evidence of effectiveness in reducing flatulence is the enzyme [[alpha-galactosidase]];<ref name="Albala 2007">{{cite book |last=Albala |first=Ken |title=Beans |publisher=Berg |publication-place=Oxford |date=15 August 2007 |isbn=978-1-84520-430-3 |pages=x, xiv, 1, 12}}</ref> extracted from the [[mould]] fungus ''[[Aspergillus niger]]'', it breaks down [[glycolipid]]s and [[glycoprotein]]s.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Di Stefano |first1=Michele |last2=Miceli |first2=Emanuela |last3=Gotti |first3=Samantha |last4=Missanelli |first4=Antonio |last5=Mazzocchi |first5=Samanta |last6=Corazza |first6=Gino Roberto |title=The Effect of Oral α-Galactosidase on Intestinal Gas Production and Gas-Related Symptoms |journal=Digestive Diseases and Sciences |volume=52 |issue=1 |date=2007 |doi=10.1007/s10620-006-9296-9 |pages=78–83|pmid=17151807 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ganiats |first1=T. G. |last2=Norcross |first2=W. A. |last3=Halverson |first3=A. L. |last4=Burford |first4=P. A. |last5=Palinkas |first5=L. A. |title=Does Beano prevent gas? A double-blind crossover study of oral alpha-galactosidase to treat dietary oligosaccharide intolerance |journal=The Journal of Family Practice |volume=39 |issue=5 |date=1994 |pmid=7964541 |pages=441–445}}</ref> The reputation of beans for flatulence is the theme of a children's song "[[Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit]]".<ref>{{cite news |last=Carey |first=Bjorn |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12483399/ |title=Scientists take the 'toot' out of beans |work=[[NBC News]] |date=25 April 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205042357/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/12483399/ |archive-date=5 December 2013 }}</ref>

The [[Mexican jumping bean]] is a segment of a seed pod occupied by the [[larva]] of the moth ''[[Cydia saltitans]]'', and sold as a novelty. The pods start to jump when warmed in the palm of the hand. Scientists have suggested that the random walk that results may help the larva to find shade and so to survive on hot days.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ouellette |first=Jennifer |date=2023-02-09 |title=Study: Mexican jumping beans use random walk strategy to find shade |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/taking-a-walk-on-the-random-side-helps-mexican-jumping-beans-find-shade/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210004230/https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/02/taking-a-walk-on-the-random-side-helps-mexican-jumping-beans-find-shade/ |archive-date=2023-02-10 |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=[[Ars Technica]]}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Baked beans]]
* [[List of bean soups]]
** [[Fassoulada]] – a bean soup
* [[List of legume dishes]]

== Notes ==

{{notelist}}

== References ==

{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name=Chazan>{{cite book |last=Chazan |first=Michael |title=World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways through Time |year=2008 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=978-0-205-40621-0}}</ref>}}

== Bibliography ==

*{{cite book |last=Kaplan |first=Lawrence |chapter=Legumes in the History of Human Nutrition |editor1=DuBois, Christine |editor2=Tan, Chee-Beng |editor3=Mintz, Sidney |title=The World of Soy |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tW6fjds6YwkC&pg=PA27 |access-date=18 December 2012 |year=2008 |publisher=NUS Press |isbn=978-9971-69-413-5 |pages=27–}}

==External links==

{{Wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Beans}}

* [https://sova.si.edu/record/nmah.ac.0683?s=0&n=10&t=C&q=Everett+H.+Bickley+Collection&i=0 Everett H. Bickley Collection, 1919–1980] Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051225193340/http://www.discovery.com/area/skinnyon/skinnyon970815/skinnyon.html Discovery Online: The Skinny On Why Beans Give You Gas]
* [https://www.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.2006.01506.x Fermentation improves nutritional value of beans]
* [https://foodsubs.com/groups/legumes-nuts/dry-beans Cook's Thesaurus on Beans]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Edible legumes]]
[[Category:Staple foods]]
[[Category:Vegan cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]
[[Category:Crops]]
[[Category:Plant common names]]