The legume family (Moths) is represented by the greatest diversity - more than 200 genera, over 6000 species. Of the entire abundance of woody, shrub, herbaceous forms in summer cottages, representatives of the Legumes subfamily are frequent inhabitants. It is not difficult to distinguish between peas and their relatives, but beans and beans, what is the difference between them, is a question that confuses the layman.

Beans and beans: are they the same thing?

As members of one large family, both plants are just relatives. The confusion arises from the scientific name of the fruit (seed) that forms in the pods. All Motylkovs call it a bean, not excluding beans.

Beans (Faba) are an annual vegetable or fodder herb from the Beans genus.

Beans (Phaseolus) are the most widely cultivated vegetable from the Bean genus.

Beans and beans

Beans and beans: what's the difference

What is the difference between beans and beans for the average person - first of all, the shape of the fruit: the beans are oval-rounded, the beans are slightly flattened.

There are also differences in the appearance of plants: beans are most often a liana, beans are a bush plant, although some varieties need support; the first has trifoliate leaves, the second has paired-pinnate leaves.

On a note! In the shape of the leaves, beans can be confused with peas, but the latter has large stipules and antennae with which it clings to the support. Bean stipules are of medium size, their edges are serrated, antennae are absent.

Other differences between cultures are geographic origin, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content. Beans are considered more valuable in practical application culture, because they contain more protein, traditional medicine uses flowers, pods, and the fruits themselves as raw materials. In beans, only the leaves of the pods have healing properties.

Conditions for growing beans

The plant is native to the Mediterranean countries, it feels great in the climatic conditions of Russia:

  • for germination, a temperature of + 3-4 ° C is enough, and therefore it is sown immediately after the snow melts;
  • matured young plants are insensitive to short-term frosts down to −4 °;
  • the optimum temperature for development is 18-20 ° С;
  • belong to plants of long daylight hours, for which the place for the beds is chosen as much as possible illuminated by the sun;
  • are able to give good yields on poor soils;
  • although they are hygrophilous, they are watered sparingly before flowering.

Young beans

On a note! Usually, the beans reach technical ripeness by mid-July. Gardeners of the southern regions manage to get two harvests per season - young promising shoots appear in the place of broken pods after a short period of time.

Conditions for growing beans

Beans brought to Europe from South America are demanding on heat:

  • sowing begins when the soil warms up at a depth of 10 cm to + 14 ° С;
  • it is often sown in a second wave after early crops;
  • the plant needs good lighting, but the daylight hours should not exceed 12 hours;
  • regular watering is required throughout the growing season.

Interesting! According to some reports, the seeds of this culture remain viable for several centuries.

How beans differ from beans: important details

The differences between them are not limited to the appearance and agricultural techniques of growing crops. There are a number of differences in chemical composition.

Nutritional value per 100 g

CompositionBoiled beansBoiled grain beansBoiled green beans
Proteins, g7.68.21.9
Fat, g0.40.620.28
Carbohydrates, g19.7267.9
Water, g71.563.889.2
Ash, g0.81.30.73
Sugar, g1.80.43.6
Fiber, g5.410.53.2
Starch, g-15.4-
Calorie content, kcal11014035

Note! The nutritional value of legumes depends on the variety.

Chemical composition:

CompositionBeansBeans
Vitamin A, μg / g14.3
Vitamin B1, μg / g3.84.6
Vitamin B2, μg / g2.41.6
Vitamin B3 (niacin), μg / g2120.8
Vitamin B6, μg / g-2.8
Vitamin C, μg / g160-

The fruits of both plants contain vitamins E, K, beta-carotene.

There is some difference in the mineral composition of beans and beans, quantitative, qualitative. The fruits of the latter contain rare but important elements molybdenum, manganese, cobalt, zinc (they are absent in beans).

Ripe Bean Pods

Culinary application

The difference is minimal. Ripe fruits are eaten, pre-soaking them, and green pods. They are equally useful for adults, children, young or old people, men, women.

There are also no fundamental differences in cooking methods. In the recipes, the fruits of both cultures are interchangeable, if we are not talking about specific national dishes. The methods of harvesting for the winter are the same - drying the grains, freezing or preserving the pods.

Important! Some varieties of both plants contain bitterness in the shells of green pods, so they are soaked in cold water for several hours before cooking.

Why are some varieties of beans useful?

The asparagus pod is characterized by a delicate pleasant taste of young valves. This is a frequent ingredient in vegetable stew recipes and is useful for those who are struggling with excess weight.

Pink is distinguished by a high content of important macronutrients - calcium and sodium.

Limskaya contains a large amount of alkalis, useful for obesity. Eating this variety helps to cleanse, rejuvenate skin and hair.

Worth knowing! Bean dry leaves - the basis for the preparation of medicinal decoctions, infusions of traditional medicine. They are used as a diuretic, vasodilator, hypoglycemic agent. There is also evidence that regular consumption of beans reduces the risk of the onset and development of cancer.

Different types of beans

Benefits of Bean Varieties

Garden (fodder) ones help to get rid of puffiness, fresh fruit juice is taken for diarrhea.

Black soybeans improve kidney function, help relieve rheumatic pains. To achieve a therapeutic effect, it is not necessary to prepare any drug, it is enough to eat a small amount of them daily as part of the first and second courses, snacks, salads.

Black, in addition to its high taste, is very useful for men, being an excellent means of preventing and treating a number of diseases of the genital area.

Important! Replenishment of the diet with beans reduces cholesterol levels, prevents the development of cholecystitis, gallstone disease.

A little about contraindications

In order not to harm your body, they follow the advice of experts: do not use legumes for gout, hepatitis, colitis, constipation, exacerbations of nephritis, pancreatitis.

Although both plants have a fairly long list of differences, there is no doubt whether beans are legumes or not. Both genera are united by their value as a food product, the benefits that they bring to the body. Each person makes the choice of what kind of product to add to the menu independently, guided by personal gastronomic preferences and product availability.