Dry beans are a member of the legume family (a plant family that can take Nitrogen from the air and fix it into the soil). They are also classified, along with chickpeas, lentils and dry peas, as a Pulse. Pulses are the dry seed of a legume. Soybeans and peanuts are not Pulses due to their high fat content whereas Pulses have virtually no fat.
Canada is fortunate in that it grows beans in excess of its needs and exports its surpluses around the world. In fact, 80-90% of the beans grown in Canada are exported.
Almost every region of the world that grows beans has different specific local names, but most of these dry beans are members of the scientific classification Phaseolus vulgaris.
Dry beans have been cultivated by man for a very long time. They are grown in many countries and consumed all around the world. It is estimated that there are well over 400 different types or varieties of dry beans grown throughout the world. Many bean varieties are consumed in local diets and don’t even find their way onto our western grocery shelves.
Wallace Spring Farms grows six varieties of beans:
Also known as white pea beans, white beans are the most popular edible bean crop grown and are often used in soups, salads and baked bean dishes. Canada exports many to the United Kingdom for baked beans. The rest are sold domestically. White beans have been grown in Canada since the early 1900’s.
Also known as black turtle beans or pretos, these have a nut-like flavour and are very popular in Caribbean, Mexican and South American cuisine. Canadian black beans mainly head to the US and Mexico.
The great northern beans are a small, nutritious, and flavorful variety of the common bean. Great northern beans are white or creamy, and have a mild taste and a soft texture. They are used as an ingredient in many dishes.
Canada grows mostly kabuli chickpeas, also known as “garbanzo beans”. We also grow the smaller desi chickpea. Chickpeas are mostly grown in the southern portions of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
An heirloom bean named from the Old testament story of the speckled and spotted cattle Jacob took from his FATHER-IN-LAW. This variety is a fruity, rich, and nutty flavored bean while dense and meaty in texture. Also rich in protein, Tending to hold their shape well and maintaining distinctive flavors they are perfect for soups and stews.
These beans started in south America but migrated north where they are now used everyday in soups, salads, and Spanish dishes. They are packed with fiber, protein, carbs, vitamins and minerals, thiamine, iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. All make it a fine superfood to add to your everyday meals.
