From Kenyan githeri to the classic American chili, this staple ingredient is found all across the globe! What’s your favorite variety of beans?

1. Black-eyed Peas

Hailing originally from West Africa, black-eyed peas are now grown all over the world, particularly in the Southern United States where they are a widely used ingredient in soul food.

Dish to try: Red Red Stew from Ghana 🇬🇭

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2. Chickpeas

Chickpea seeds are one of the earliest cultivated legumes, with 9500-year-old remains being found in the Middle East. Not to mention, they are a great source of protein!

Dish to try: Harira Soup from Morocco 🇲🇦

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3. Adzuki Beans

Widely cultivated throughout East Asia for its small size, the most common variety has a uniform red color, but there are also white, black, gray, and variously mottled varieties.

Dish to try: Red Bean Dorayaki from Japan 🇯🇵

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4. Mung Beans

Used as an ingredient in both savory and sweet dishes, the mung bean is a versatile bean that is also high in nutrients and antioxidants.

Dish to try: Ginisang Munggo from the Philippeans 🇵🇭

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5. Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are one of the healthiest types of beans to use as a protein source, and are named for their visual resemblance in shape and – for the red variety – color to a human kidney.

Dish to try: Red Beans and Rice from Haiti 🇭🇹

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6. Black Beans

The black bean is a small, shiny variety that is especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though it can also be found all over the world, with numerous varieties including Domino, Black Magic, Blackhawk, Condor, and Raven.

Dish to try: Feijoada (Black Bean Stew) from Brazil 🇧🇷

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7. Yellow Split Peas

The peas are spherical when harvested, and then they are dried, skins removed, then split in half by hand or by machine. They are perfect for soups, dal, dips, pudding, or dried for snacking on.

Dish to try: Saag Dahl from India 🇮🇳

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8. Flagolet Beans

The flagolet bean is a French variety of bean that is kidney-shaped, light green colored, and picked before maturity to retain its color when dried in the shade.

Dish to try: Recette de Flageolets à la Tomate from France 🇫🇷

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9. Pigeon Peas

Pigeon Peas are known by a variety of names, including Congo pea, Angola pea, red gram, all postmarks of its travels as it spread from eastern India to Africa and the Middle East.

Dish to try: Gungo Peas and Rice from Jamaica 🇯🇲

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