Vicia faba
Vicia faba plants in flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Tribe: Vicieae Genus: Vicia Species: V. faba
Binomial name
Vicia faba L.

Vicia faba, the broad bean, fava bean, faba bean, horse bean, field bean, tic bean, or foul is a species of bean (Fabaceae) native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. Although usually classified in the same genus Vicia as the vetches, some botanists treat it in a separate monotypic genus as Faba sativa Moench. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (596x795, 88 KB)Vicia faba plants in flower. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... Divisions Green algae Chlorophyta Charophyta Land plants (embryophytes) Non-vascular land plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta—liverworts Anthocerotophyta—hornworts Bryophyta—mosses †Horneophytopsida Vascular plants (tracheophytes) †Rhyniophyta—rhyniophytes †Zosterophyllophyta—zosterophylls Lycopodiophyta—clubmosses †Trimerophytophyta—trimerophytes Pteridophyta—ferns and horsetails Ophioglossophyta - adders-tongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta—seed ferns Pinophyta—conifers Cycadophyta—cycads Ginkgophyta—ginkgo... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Orders See text. ... Families Fabaceae (legumes) Quillajaceae Polygalaceae (milkwort family) Surianaceae The Fabales are an order of flowering plants, included in the rosid group of dicotyledons. ... Subfamilies Faboideae Caesalpinioideae Mimosoideae References GRIN-CA 2002-09-01 The name Fabaceae belongs to either of two families, depending on viewpoint. ... Tribes Abreae Adesmieae Aeschynomeneae Amorpheae Bossiaeeae Brongniartieae Carmichaelieae Cicereae Crotalarieae Dalbergieae Desmodieae Dipterygeae Euchresteae Galegeae Genisteae Hedysareae Indigofereae Liparieae Loteae Millettieae Mirbelieae Phaseoleae Podalyrieae Psoraleeae Robinieae Sophoreae Swartzieae Thermopsideae Trifolieae Vicieae Faboideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae. ... Species About 140 species, including: Vicia bithynica (Bithynian Vetch) Vicia canescens Vicia cassubica (Danzig Vetch) Vicia cracca (Tufted Vetch) Vicia dumetorum Vicia faba (Broad Bean) Vicia hirsuta (Hairy Vetch) Vicia lathyroides (Spring Vetch) Vicia lutea (Yellow Vetch) Vicia narbonensis Vicia onobrychioides Vicia oroboides Vicia orobus (Upright Vetch) Vicia pannonica Vicia... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume Pea pods A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these plants. ... Subfamilies Faboideae Caesalpinioideae Mimosoideae References GRIN-CA 2002-09-01 The name Fabaceae belongs to either of two families, depending on viewpoint. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Species About 140 species, including: Vicia bithynica (Bithynian Vetch) Vicia canescens Vicia cassubica (Danzig Vetch) Vicia cracca (Tufted Vetch) Vicia dumetorum Vicia faba (Broad Bean) Vicia hirsuta (Hairy Vetch) Vicia lathyroides (Spring Vetch) Vicia lutea (Yellow Vetch) Vicia narbonensis Vicia onobrychioides Vicia oroboides Vicia orobus (Upright Vetch) Vicia pannonica Vicia... Species About 140 species, including: Vicia bithynica (Bithynian Vetch) Vicia canescens Vicia cassubica (Danzig Vetch) Vicia cracca (Tufted Vetch) Vicia dumetorum Vicia faba (Broad Bean) Vicia hirsuta (Hairy Vetch) Vicia lathyroides (Spring Vetch) Vicia lutea (Yellow Vetch) Vicia narbonensis Vicia onobrychioides Vicia oroboides Vicia orobus (Upright Vetch) Vicia pannonica Vicia...

Broad beans in the pod

It is a rigid, erect plant 0.5-1.7 m tall, with stout stems with a square cross-section. The leaves are 10-25 cm long, pinnate with 2-7 leaflets, and of a distinct glaucous grey-green colour; unlike most other vetches, the leaves do not have tendrils for climbing over other vegetation. The flowers are 1-2.5 cm long, with five petals, the standard petal white, the wing petals white with a black spot (true black, not deep purple or blue as is the case in many "black" colourings [1]), and the keel petals white. The fruit is a broad leathery pod, green maturing blackish-brown, with a densely downy surface; in the wild species, the pods are 5-10 cm long and 1 cm diameter, but many modern cultivars developed for food use have pods 15-25 cm long and 2-3 cm thick. Each pod contains 3-8 seeds; round to oval and 5-10 mm diameter in the wild plant, usually flattened and up to 20-25 mm long, 15 mm broad and 5-10 mm thick in food cultivars. Vicia faba has a diploid (2n) chromosome number of 12, meaning that each cell in the plant has 12 chromosomes (6 homologous pairs). Five pairs are acrocentric chromosomes and 1 pair is metacentric. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (922x765, 104 KB)Broad beans in the pod. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (922x765, 104 KB)Broad beans in the pod. ... “Foliage” redirects here. ... Look up flower in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... An acrocentric chromosome is one in which the centromere is located very near to one of the ends of the chromosome, thus giving the chromosome a short arm and a long arm. ...

Cultivation and uses

Broad beans have a long tradition of cultivation in Old World agriculture, being among the most ancient plants in cultivation and also among the easiest to grow. It is believed that along with lentils, peas, and chickpeas, they became part of the eastern Mediterranean diet in around 6000 BC or earlier. They are still often grown as a cover crop to prevent erosion because they can over-winter and because as a legume, they fix nitrogen in the soil. The Old World consists of those parts of Earth known to Europeans, Asians, and Africans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia, and Africa (collectively known as Africa-Eurasia), plus surrounding islands. ... Lens culinaris. ... Binomial name Pisum sativum A pea (Pisum sativum) is the small, edible round green seed which grows in a pod on a leguminous vine, hence why it is called a legume. ... Binomial name Cicer arietinum L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... (7th millennium BC – 6th millennium BC – 5th millennium BC – other millennia) Events c. ... Broadly defined, a cover crop is any annual, biennial, or perennial plant grown as a monoculture (one crop type grown together) or polyculture (multiple crop types grown together), to improve any number of conditions associated with sustainable agriculture. ... Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. For erosion as an operation of Mathematical morphology, see Erosion (morphology) Erosion is displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock and other particles) by the agents of ocean currents, wind, water, or ice by downward or down-slope movement... Varieties of soybean seeds, a popular legume Pea pods A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or a fruit of these plants. ... General Name, Symbol, Number nitrogen, N, 7 Chemical series nonmetals Group, Period, Block 15, 2, p Appearance colorless gas Standard atomic weight 14. ...

Mature field bean pods

In much of the Anglophone world, the name broad bean is used for the large-seeded cultivars grown for human food, while horse bean and field bean refer to cultivars with smaller, harder seeds (more like the wild species) used for animal feed, though their stronger flavour is preferred in some human food recipes, such as falafel. The term fava bean (from the Italian name fava) is commonly used in the United States (especially for beans grown for human consumption), but is also seen elsewhere, especially in Mediterranean recipes (this language shift can also be seen in the common use of the term "arugula" in the US for what in the UK is called "rocket"). Image File history File links Tuinboon_voor_zaad. ... Image File history File links Tuinboon_voor_zaad. ... Look up Anglophone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Falafel balls Falafel ( Arabic:  , ‎), also known in Egypt and Sudan as tameya (طعمية), is a fried ball or patty made from spiced fava beans and/or chickpeas. ... Binomial name (L.) Cav. ...

Culinary uses

Broad beans, shelled and lightly steamed for 3 minutes.

Broad beans are eaten while still young and tender, enabling harvesting to begin as early as the middle of spring for plants started under glass or over-wintered in a protected location, but even the maincrop sown in early spring will be ready from mid to late summer. Horse beans, left to mature fully, are usually harvested in the late autumn. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixels Full resolution (3456 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixels Full resolution (3456 × 2304 pixel, file size: 2. ...

The beans can be fried, causing the skin to split open, and then salted to produce a crunchy snack. These are popular in China, and also in Thailand where their name means "open-mouth nut".

In the Sichuan cuisine of China, broad beans are combined with soybeans and chili peppers to produce a spicy fermented bean paste called doubanjiang. Sichuan Cuisine or Szechuan Cuisine (川菜, pinyin: chuān cài), originating in the Sichuan province of western China, has an international reputation for being spicy and flavorful. ... Binomial name (L.) Merr. ... The chile pepper (also chili or chilli; from Spanish chile) is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family (Solanaceae). ... Doubanjiang (Chinese: 豆瓣酱; pinyin: dòubànjiàng; literally beans mixed into sauce) is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, red chili peppers, salt, and spices. ...

In most Arab countries the fava bean is used for a breakfast meal called ful medames. Ful medames is usually crushed fava beans in a sauce although the Fava beans do not have to be crushed. Ful Medames is the national dish of Egypt, often eaten at breakfast. ...

Health issues

Broad beans are rich in tyramine, and thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase (MAOI) inhibitors. Tyramine (4-hydroxy-phenethylamine) is a monoamine compound derived from the amino acid tyrosine. ... Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) are a class of antidepressant drugs prescribed for the treatment of depression. ...

Raw broad beans contain vicine and convicine, which can induce hemolytic anemia in patients with the hereditary condition glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDD). This potentially fatal condition, which is quite common in certain ethnic groups, is called "favism" after the fava bean.^[1][2] Vicine is a glycoside found in fava beans. ... Hemolytic anemia is anemia due to hemolysis, the abnormal breakdown of red blood cells either in the blood vessels (intravascular hemolysis) or elsewhere in the body (extravascular). ... Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is an X-linked recessive hereditary disease featuring nonimmune hemolytic anemia in response to a number of causes. ...

Broad beans are rich in L-dopa, a substance used medically in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. L-dopa is also a natriuretic agent, which might help in controlling hypertension.^[3] Some also use fava beans as a natural alternative to drugs like Viagra, citing a link between L-dopa production and the human libido.^[4] L-DOPA (levodopa, 3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... // ... Libido in its common usage means sexual desire; however, more technical definitions, such as those found in the work of Carl Jung, are more general, referring to libido as the free creative—or psychic—energy an individual has to put toward personal development, or individuation. ...

Other uses

• In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used in voting; a white bean being used to cast a yes vote, and a black bean for no.
• In Ubykh culture, throwing beans on the ground and interpreting the pattern in which they fall was a common method of divination (favomancy), and the word for "bean-thrower" in that language has become a generic term for seers and soothsayers in general.
• In Italy, broad beans are traditionally sown on November 2, All Souls Day. Small cakes made in the shape of broad beans (though not of them) are known as fave dei morti or "beans of the dead". According to tradition, Sicily once experienced a failure of all crops other than the beans; the beans kept the population from starvation, and thanks were given to Saint Joseph. Broad beans subsequently became traditional on Saint Joseph's Day altars in many Italian communities. Some people carry a broad bean for good luck; some believe that if one carries a broad bean, one will never be without the essentials of life. In Rome, on the first of May Roman families traditionally eat fresh fava beans with Pecorino Romano cheese during a daily excursion in the Campagna.
• In ancient Greece and Rome, beans were used as a food for the dead, such as during the annual Lemuria festival. In some folk legends, such as in Estonia and the common Jack and the Beanstalk story, magical beans grow tall enough to bring the hero to the clouds. The Grimm Brothers collected a story in which a bean splits its sides laughing at the failure of others. Dreaming of a bean is sometimes said to be a sign of impending conflict, though others said that they caused bad dreams. Pliny claimed that they acted as a laxative. European folklore also claims that planting beans on Good Friday or during the night brings good luck.

Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... The Ubykh people are a group who spoke the Northwest Caucasian Ubykh language, up until 1992. ... Favomancy is a form of divination that used to be practized by seers in Russia, and in particular, the Ubykh people. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... All Souls Day by William Bouguereau All Souls Day (formally, Commemoratio omnium Fidelium Defunctorum or Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed), also called Defuncts Day in Mexico and Belgium, is the day set apart for the commemoration of the faithful departed. ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... For other uses, see Saint Joseph (disambiguation). ... Saint Josephs Day, commonly called the Feast of St. ... “Good luck” redirects here. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... Categories: Food and drink stubs | Italian cheeses ... The Roman Campagna (Italian: campagna romana) is a low-lying area surrounding Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, with an area of approximately 2,100 km² (800 m²). Geographically, it is bordered by the Sabini mountains to the northeast, the Alban Hills to the southeast, on the southwest... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... In Roman religion, the Feast of the Lemures, called the Lemuralia or Lemuria, was a feast during which the ancient Romans performed rites to exorcise the malevolent and fearful ghosts of the dead from their homes. ... Illustration by Arthur Rackham from a 1918 English Fairy Tales, by Flora Annie Steel Jack and the Beanstalk is an English fairy tale, closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant Killer. ... Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm The Brothers Grimm (Brüder Grimm) are Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. ... Pliny the Elder: an imaginative 19th Century portrait. ... Laxatives are foods, compounds, or drugs taken to induce bowel movements, most often taken to treat constipation. ... Good Friday is the Friday before Easter (Easter always falls on a Sunday). ...

Cultural references

Plate showing broad beans, from Thomé, Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885.

• The name and modern term Fabian derives from this bean.
• In the 1992 videogame OutRunners, an anthropomorphic broad bean character is featured on billboards and the start of the game called "Broad Bean," a parody of Bibendum (the Michelin man), presumably the mascot of the fictional company sponsoring the race, Sam Spree.
• In the film The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lecter mentions that he once ate the liver of a census taker "with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 376 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1476 × 2354 pixel, file size: 483 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Name Vicia faba Family Fabaceae Original book source: Prof. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 376 × 600 pixels Full resolution (1476 × 2354 pixel, file size: 483 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Name Vicia faba Family Fabaceae Original book source: Prof. ... Fabian is the English form of the late Roman name Fabianus. ... OutRunners is an arcade game released by Sega in 1992. ... Anthropomorphism, also referred to as personification or prosopopeia, is the attribution of human characteristics to inanimate objects, animals, forces of nature, and others. ... Michelin logo Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin, based in Clermont_Ferrand, France, is primarily a tire manufacturer. ... The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 Academy Award-winning film directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. ... Hannibal Lecter, MD, is a fictional character in a series of novels by author Thomas Harris. ... Chianti is Italys most famous red wine. ...

References

1. ^ Kathrynne Holden. Fava Beans, Levodopa, and Parkinson's Disease.
2. ^ Russ Parsons. The Long History of the Mysterious Fava Bean.
3. ^ Vered Y, Grosskopf I, Palevitch D, Harsat A, Charach G, Weintraub MS, Graff E. The influence of Vicia faba (broad bean) seedlings on urinary sodium excretion. Planta Med 1997;63:237-40. PMID 9225606.
4. ^ Emmerson, Kassidy. "Natural Remedies for Loss of Sex Drive." Associated Content, July 20, 2006. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/44706/natural_remedies_for_loss_of_sexual.html.

• Dr D. G. Hessayon (2003). The Vegetable & Herb Expert. Expert Books. ISBN 0-903505-46-0

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Vicia faba

• http://fava-beans.com - Pictures and information about fava/broad bean topics
• Complete nutritional info.
• http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/book/chap4/broad.html
• http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/duke_energy/Vicia_faba.html
• http://www.kitchengarden.co.za/favabeans.html
• Alternative Field Crops Manual
• Nutrition facts

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Broadbeans