Fava beans have a life long after movie fame
Fava beans have a life long after movie fame
"I ate his liver with some Fava beans and a nice Chianti," said Dr. Hannibal Lechter in the movie thriller "Silence of the Lambs. Bizarre as his gastronomic choices may have been, Dr. Lechter at least knew his beans.
Also known as Broad, Horse or English beans, Fava beans were as much a staple vegetable as was the potato in the Old World. In fact, Elizabeth Schneider, author of "Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference" (2001, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York), writes that Fava beans are common fare from China to England, Iran to Spain and Africa to South America.
But it is the product's association with Mediterranean cuisines, Ms. Schneider said, that accounts for the current renaissance in the United States. It certainly isn't because Favas are considered a value-added item. In fact, they are one of the more labor-intensive fancy legumes in fashion today.
"Although the beans were introduced to North America at the start of the 1600s, they fell out of favor toward the mid-1800s, Ms. Schneider wrote. "Favas demand considerable trimming (shelling, blanching and peeling) to get to the edible parts, and they produce more waste than edible parts.
Fava beans are large pods that contain flat, pale green-to-tan colored beans. Once the pod is removed, the bean is still in a casing that must also be removed and discarded. Once the pod and casings are removed, the edible bean is revealed. It is about the size of a thumbnail -- similar to lima beans in both appearance and size.
Ms. Schneider added that besides falling into the popular "Mediterranean category, the bean's flavor is another contributing factor to the current resurgence of popularity. "[Fava beans] taste less like starch and more like a green vegetable plus nut, she wrote.
Fava beans are also an important item in Middle Eastern dishes. Cuisine from this area of the world is currently gaining in popularity in the United States, and that is no doubt partially responsible for the product's increasing spotlight. Whatever the reasons, Fava beans are appearing more today, and not only in popular restaurants where kitchen assistants and sous-chefs are available to handle the labor.
Fairway, the popular New York chain with two locations in Manhattan and another in Plainview, is famous for its nearly block-long outdoor produce display on Broadway and 74th Street. The stores have been offering Fava beans for the past couple of months. At the end of June, the retail price of Fava beans at Fairway had dropped to $1.99 per pound from $2.98 per pound the previous week -- perhaps a sign of more abundant supplies.
Pete Romano, produce director for Fairway, said, "The popularity of the bean has increased over time, and more consumers are using them in their home kitchens.
Karen Caplan, president of Frieda's Inc., a leading marketer and distributor of specialty produce, headquartered in Los Alamitos, CA, said that the company has experienced an increase in Fava bean demand.
"I think chefs and food magazines that have demonstrated easy recipes have made all the difference, said Ms. Caplan. "There are a few growers who are growing great product and making them more plentiful. They are typically produced here in California and in Mexico.
Robert Schueller, director of public relations for Melissa's/World Variety Produce, headquartered in Los Angeles, agreed that chefs and the media have spurred the increase in Fava bean popularity. "In the last year we have experienced 15 percent growth, he said. "Over the past five years, we've seen a combined growth increase of 75 percent on fresh Favas.
The majority of Fava beans sold in the United States are grown in California and in Mexico. Domestic supplies are available from March through September, but the beans are grown from October through March in some other countries.
It is doubtful that Dr. Lechter's praise of the compatibility between Fava beans and human body parts (and, let's not forget the nice Chianti) did anything to deter the popularity of the bean. After all, he was known as a connoisseur of fine food. But one may pity the sous-chefs responsible for removing the beans from their pods and casings in the doctor's kitchen. That unfortunate soul may have also contributed to the dinner fare in a far more heinous way.
Also known as Broad, Horse or English beans, Fava beans were as much a staple vegetable as was the potato in the Old World. In fact, Elizabeth Schneider, author of "Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference" (2001, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York), writes that Fava beans are common fare from China to England, Iran to Spain and Africa to South America.
But it is the product's association with Mediterranean cuisines, Ms. Schneider said, that accounts for the current renaissance in the United States. It certainly isn't because Favas are considered a value-added item. In fact, they are one of the more labor-intensive fancy legumes in fashion today.
"Although the beans were introduced to North America at the start of the 1600s, they fell out of favor toward the mid-1800s, Ms. Schneider wrote. "Favas demand considerable trimming (shelling, blanching and peeling) to get to the edible parts, and they produce more waste than edible parts.
Fava beans are large pods that contain flat, pale green-to-tan colored beans. Once the pod is removed, the bean is still in a casing that must also be removed and discarded. Once the pod and casings are removed, the edible bean is revealed. It is about the size of a thumbnail -- similar to lima beans in both appearance and size.
Ms. Schneider added that besides falling into the popular "Mediterranean category, the bean's flavor is another contributing factor to the current resurgence of popularity. "[Fava beans] taste less like starch and more like a green vegetable plus nut, she wrote.
Fava beans are also an important item in Middle Eastern dishes. Cuisine from this area of the world is currently gaining in popularity in the United States, and that is no doubt partially responsible for the product's increasing spotlight. Whatever the reasons, Fava beans are appearing more today, and not only in popular restaurants where kitchen assistants and sous-chefs are available to handle the labor.
Fairway, the popular New York chain with two locations in Manhattan and another in Plainview, is famous for its nearly block-long outdoor produce display on Broadway and 74th Street. The stores have been offering Fava beans for the past couple of months. At the end of June, the retail price of Fava beans at Fairway had dropped to $1.99 per pound from $2.98 per pound the previous week -- perhaps a sign of more abundant supplies.
Pete Romano, produce director for Fairway, said, "The popularity of the bean has increased over time, and more consumers are using them in their home kitchens.
Karen Caplan, president of Frieda's Inc., a leading marketer and distributor of specialty produce, headquartered in Los Alamitos, CA, said that the company has experienced an increase in Fava bean demand.
"I think chefs and food magazines that have demonstrated easy recipes have made all the difference, said Ms. Caplan. "There are a few growers who are growing great product and making them more plentiful. They are typically produced here in California and in Mexico.
Robert Schueller, director of public relations for Melissa's/World Variety Produce, headquartered in Los Angeles, agreed that chefs and the media have spurred the increase in Fava bean popularity. "In the last year we have experienced 15 percent growth, he said. "Over the past five years, we've seen a combined growth increase of 75 percent on fresh Favas.
The majority of Fava beans sold in the United States are grown in California and in Mexico. Domestic supplies are available from March through September, but the beans are grown from October through March in some other countries.
It is doubtful that Dr. Lechter's praise of the compatibility between Fava beans and human body parts (and, let's not forget the nice Chianti) did anything to deter the popularity of the bean. After all, he was known as a connoisseur of fine food. But one may pity the sous-chefs responsible for removing the beans from their pods and casings in the doctor's kitchen. That unfortunate soul may have also contributed to the dinner fare in a far more heinous way.
