Beans

ADZUKI BEAN

Native to China, the adzuki beans (Vigna angularis) is a small (1/4 inch long), reddish-brown, oval bean with a thin, white stripe down the side. It grows on a bush, rather than on a vine. The bean has a nutty, sweet flavor and firm texture. This is the red bean used in Asian desserts; it also has savory uses, and can be enjoyed with rice dishes. The adzuki bean was brought to the U.S. in the mid 19th century. When steamed with rice, the bean gives the rice an attractive, slightly pink color. It is also known as the aduki, adsuki, asuki, azuki, feijao, field pea, red Oriental bean and Tiensin red.

Adzuki beans, available from Amazon.com.

AMARANTH

Amaranth also has naturally high amounts of lysine, methionine and cysteine combined with a balance of amino acids. These grains are round and tiny, smaller than mustard seeds. gold in color with flecks of black. It has a crunchy texture and is very chewy. Amaranth is not a true grain, but a seed from a broadleaf herb plant.

ANASAZI BEANS

BARLEY or PEARL BARLEY or PEARLED BARLEY

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is one of the oldest domesticated crops (there is evidence of barley in the Nile Delta more than 18,000) and one of the major cereal crops in the world (in 2005 it ranked fourth in amount cultivated—consider that it is an ingredient in beer, a drink popular worldwide). A small, spherical grain, it is grown worldwide and usually “pearled” to remove its outer bran and husk, leaving only a small white “pearl” of endosperm. Pearled barley has a slightly sweet, nutty, earthy flavor, chewy texture and high starch content. It was a staple cereal of ancient Egypt, where it was used to make bread and beer, and it was used to make beer when it was first planted in America around 1600. Barley has been accorded special status as well: The Chinese believed it increased male sexuality; in Rome, barley was the special dish of the gladiators. A new variety of barley, black barley (also known as purple hull-less barley, originally from Ethiopia, is now being raised in Montana. A specialty product, it is unprocessed; the nutritious bran layer is edible and stays attached to the kernel.

Pearled barley and black barley are available at Amazon.com.

BEAN

Broad beans in the pod. Bean originally meant the seed of the broad bean, but the definition was later expanded to include members of the genus Phaseolus such as the common bean or haricot and the runner bean and the related genus Vigna, which includes the mung bean, the rice bean and the black-eyed pea. The term is now applied in a general way to some 15 other genuses which include such varieties as soybeans, peas, lentils, chickpea (garbanzo), pea, lentil, lima, common bean (including the black bean, pinto bean and kidney bean), soybean and guar. Broad beans in the pod.

BELUGA LENTIL

BESAN

See chickpea flour.

BLACK BEAN or BLACK SPANISH BEAN or COMMON BEAN or TAMPICO BEAN or TURTLE BEAN or SPANISH BEAN or VENEZUELAN BEAN

Black beans are becoming more popular in the U.S., in part due to increased immigration from Latin American countries. They are small, kidney-shaped and shiny, with a slight mushroom flavor. Black beans hold their shape when cooked and absorb flavors well.

BLACKEYED PEA or BLACK-EYED PEA

Blackeyed peas are also commonly used in bean cakes, casseroles, curry dishes, fritters and salads. Variations are yellow, brown or red in color. The bean is also known as the black eyed Suzy, brown-eyed pea, cherry bean, China pea, cowpea, frijole, Indian pea, Jerusalem pea, lobhia, marble pea and Tonkin pea.

BORLOTTI BEAN

See cranberry bean.

BULGUR or BULGHUR

CANNELLINI BEAN

A glossy white, oval bean with a thin skin and mild flavor. See photo at the top left of the page.

CASSAVA

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also known as manioc and yuca, not to be confused with yucca—is the root of a woody shrub native to the Amazon basin. It is the third largest source of carbohydrate food in the world, and a staple of nearly 500 million people worldwide.* A popular replacement for potatoes in the countries where it is grown, it a resilient root and grows well in arid or drought-ridden soils. Thousands of years ago, the subtropical plant was carried from the Amazon basin throughout Latin America and, through long boat journeys, to Africa and Asia. Today, it is cooked in a variety of ways, from purées (liked mashed potatoes), fried, made into dumplings, added to soups and stews, made into bread, pies and puddings. Tapioca is made from cassava root flour.
Photo of cassava root by David Monniaux | Wikimedia Commons.

*Claude Fauquet and Denis Fargette, (1990) “African Cassava Mosaic Virus: Etiology, Epidemiology, and Control,” Plant Disease, Vol. 74(6): 404-11.

CECI BEAN

See garbanzo bean.

CEREAL, BREAKFAST

Processed grains that are generally 75% to 80% carbohydrate. Can be commercially processed or homemade.

CEREAL GRAINS

Cereal includes any plant from the grass family that yields an edible grain (seed). These include barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, triticale, wheatand wild rice, plus lesser-known grains. Because cereals are easy to raise and inexpensive, are a readily available source ofprotein and have more carbohydrates than any other food, they are a staple throughout the world.
Photo of barley grains by Luis Rock | SXC.

CHANNA DAL or BENGAL GRAM/SPLIT or KADALE BELE or KADALAI PARUPPU)

This is a robust and versatile lentil or dal, a split and husked relative of chickpeas (Cicer grietinum). It looks somewhat like toor dal (which is a different dal altogether). Channa dal refers to the hulled, split chickpea, and is used often with sweeter vegetables, such as pumpkin and zucchini. Easy to cook, it is the most popular legume in India.

CHICKPEA

See garbanzo bean.

CHICKPEA FLOUR or BESAN or GRAM FLOUR

A flour made from milling the garbanzo bean (in India, chana dal) to a fine fine, pale yellow flour. Chickpea flour is used as a batter for deep-frying and in soups. It is traditionally used in batters for vegetable fritters (pakoras) as a binding agent. Many Indian sweets are made from chickpea flour/besan; it is to an Indian kitchen what egg is to a western kitchen. Indian besan has been roasted prior to milling.GRAMFLOUR

COUSCOUS

Pronounced KOOS-koos, this wheat product is more than 1,000 years old. The Berbers, native to the mountains of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, would go down to the valleys to gather and conserve wheat. Over generations, they learned that by grinding the wheat and making couscous, it would keep for years, insurance from drought and famine. Long a staple of North African cooking, it is now widely available in most supermarkets. Specialty producers such as Bob’s Red Mill also sellwhole wheat couscous and tricolor: green (spinach flavored), red (tomato flavored) and white pearls. Couscous is not a grain but yellow granules of semolina, made from durum pasta wheat, which are precooked and then dried. The word can mean the pasta itself, as well as refer to the prepared dish. North African stews (tagines) traditionally served over it. Like pasta or rice, couscous is versatile and has numerous preparations. It is simple to prepare: Just add boiling water and let it sit. It can be flavored with exotic spices or served plain. The photo shows regular couscous at the left, and the larger Israeli style at the right. The large grains are the original.  They were made by hand-rolling semolina grains with olive oil, water  salt on screens, letting the small grains fall through, and rolling them again until a consistent size grain was formed. The grains are then coated with olive oil  salt and sun-dried, giving them a toasty flavor when cooked.
Photo by Meghan Anderson-Colangelo |SXC.

CRANBERRY BEAN or BORLOTTI BEAN

The cranberry red shell of this bean covers a beige-colored bean flecked with cranberry streaks. It is known for its nutlike flavor. In Italy it is called the borlotti, a name by which it can be found in the U.S. as well.

DURUM WHEAT Indigenous to North Africa, durum serves as a main cereal grain for many of the food preparations in these countries. A hard variety of wheat, it is used to manufacture pasta because its texture enables the pasta to be cooked to an al dente state where other varieties of wheat would become overly soft. Semolina is milled  durum. EDAMAME The cooked green soybean is very popular as a snack, squeezed from the pod. It is also served as a side dish and used as anaccent in casseroles, salads, soups, rice and pasta dishes.

Edamame photo by Hilary Brodey | IST.

EINKORN Einkorn (Triticum monococcum) is the first species of wheat to have been domesticated by man, more than 12,000 years ago, from the seeds of wild wheat (Triticum boeoticum). The word is German for “single grain.” It is very different from modern wheat. When, it was first planted, during the Neolithic Revolution, was the time that mankind was transitioning from hunter-gatherer to farmer. Agriculture and settled communities were born. Einkorn was cultivated through the Bronze Age (500 BCE to 1200 BCE) and then diminished over time. Today considered a relict crop,* einkorn fell from use both because of its low yield (fewer grains per stalk) and the fact that its particular type of gluten is not conducive to making bread. Now it is being revived by artisan producers such as Jovial Foods. Emmer wheat, or farro, is the second earliest cultivated wheat.

Einkorn is not corn, but the earliest species of wheat cultivated by man. Photo courtesy JovialFoods.com.

*A relict crop is one that was previously grown extensively, but is now only used in one or a few limited regions of the world. Einkorn still grows wild in Turkey.

EMMER WHEAT

See farro, below.

FARINA or SOOJI or CREAM OF WHEAT or WHEAT MEAL A fine meal prepared from cereal grain and various other plant products. The texture is almost like coarse grains of sand. It is used in everything from hot breakfast cereals to exotic Indian desserts. Farina is ground into a fine consistency (farina is the Italian word for flour), and is best known in the U.S. as the branded Cream of Wheat and Cream of Rice porridges. As a hot cereal, farina has been compared to grits; however, farina is finely ground, while grits, made only from corn, are of a coarser texture. Wheatena, a brand of toasted wheat porridge, also is of a coarser texture than farina cereals.

Uncooked farina. Photo courtesy Ajika Foods.

FARRO or EMMER WHEAT Emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum, synonym Triticum turgidum L. subsp. dicoccon), called farro in Italian, was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East and the second wheat after einkorn (see above). It was widely cultivated into the Bronze Age, but is now a relict crop—one that was previously grown extensively, but is now only used in one or a few limited regions of the world, because of low yield and other reasons (farro continues to be grown in the mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.) Once the staple of the poor, today it is enjoyed as a “gourmet” grain. Farro is high in fiber, protein and nutrients. It is nutty with a chewy texture. Think of it as a substitute for rice: top it with a mushroom ragout, add it to soups, serve it with casseroles and as a side dish, make cold farro salads (or mix it with greens).

Farro, an ancient grain. If you can’t find it locally, it’s available on Amazon.com.

Farro is often confused with spelt (Triticum aestivum L. subsp. spelta), a different species. Do not substitute one for the other in recipes.

FAVA BEAN or BROAD BEAN or FABA or HORSE BEAN The fava bean (Vica faba) is a flat, oval bean, 3/4 to 1 inch in length, housed in a large, green, inedible pod. It has an assertive, almost bitter earthy flavor and granular texture. Fava beans originated in ancient Egypt and spread throughout the Mediterranean, where they were cultivated as both human and animal food (and were a staple in the diet of the pyramid builders); cultivation can be traced back to the Bronze Age in Switzerland and the Iron Age in Great Britain. The fava was the only bean known to Europeans until the discovery of America.

Fava beans, above, are available dried from Amazon.com.

In ancient Greece, Pythagoras forbade his followers to eat them because, according to legend, fava beans were said to contain the souls of the dead. More likely, Pythagoras discerned the connection between eating undercooked fava beans and the anemic blood disorder now called favism. Traces of the fava’s cultivation have been found in Bronze Age sites in Switzerland and in Iron Age sites in England. Until Spanish explorers brought Phaseolus vulgaris to Europe in the 15th century, fava beans were the only bean in town. And then, of course, it was Hannibal Lecter, in “Silence of the Lambs,” who claimed to have eaten the liver of a census taker “with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.” These fat broad beans can now be found fresh in ethnic groceries, distinctive in their long, tough pods; unshelled, they look like larger, flatter, squared-off lima beans. They are enjoyed as side dishes and in stews. Other names include English, Scotch, Windsor and field rounded bean.

FLAGEOLET BEANS

Small beans that can be found in black, green, red, white and yellow varieties. Flageolets, about a half inch in length, are often mistaken for small kidney beans.

FLAX SEED Flax seed has a delicious, nutty flavor that is enjoyed sprinkled directly onto salads, added to baked goods or mixed into oatmeal. This ancient crop is a modern healer’s darling. It is rich in fiber and alpha linolenic acid, a plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to that found in salmon. Studies show that flax seed lowers total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol while maintaining HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure, and keep platelets from becoming sticky, therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack Rich in the phytoestrogen and antioxidant lingan, flax seed shows promise in fighting breast cancer and other diseases, including Crohn’s Disease and colitis.

Flax seed is available at natural food stores and from Amazon.com.

GARBANZO BEAN or CECI or CHANNA or CHICKPEA One of the oldest cultivated legume species known, garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) go back as far as 5400 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia. They are small, hard, knobby beans, a rich beige-yellow color, about 3/8 inch round. While high in carbohydrate, their nutty flavor, minimal fat, nutrition (they are a good source of calcium, B Vitamins, protein and iron) and versatile culinary qualities have pushed garbanzos to the forefront in American cooking over the past 30 years—not just inhummus, minestrone and salads but in the ever-expanding vegetarian cuisine.

Garbanzo beans, above, are available dried from Amazon.com.

They are pale and light brown and are used whole, popular in North Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. In North India they are made into the popular chola/channa masala (chili) dish and are made into fritters. In the Middle East they are made into hummus, falafel, and added to pilafs. In North Africa they are added to couscous. Now they have found their way into Mexican, Cuban and other Latin American cuisines. Garbanzo is also available as chickpea powder. Other names include cheechee, cici, gran, kabuli, pois chiche and safaid beans. Ground garbanzo beans are sold as chickpea flour or cici flour.

GREAT NORTHERN BEAN

A mild, white, oval bean, similar to the white kidney bean.

GRITS

Grits are corn kernels, soaked to remove the casing (at which point it is known as hominy—hence the term, hominy grits). The hominy is left to harden and then is ground to the texture of tiny pellets, the “grits.” These are boiled with water, into a cereal similar to cream of wheat. See also polenta.

GROATS Hulled and crushed grains of various cereals. Common groats are oats, wheat and buckwheat (roasted buckwheat groats are known as kasha and are a popular dish in eastern Europe and Eurasia). Because groats are hard to chew, they need to be soaked and cooked for a long period. See also kasha. Continue To Next Page: Terms With K ~ L Go To The Article Index Above

Groats, also called kasha, are available on Amazon.com.

KAMUT

Kamut is a trademarked term for khorasan, the Ancient Egyptian wheat (see below). Kamut has a larger kernel than wheat and contains higher levels of protein and slightly higher levels of lipids and minerals. It is grown organically and can be purchased for use as a breakfast cereal and for bread baking.

KASHA

In American English, kasha is roasted whole-grain buckwheat or buckwheat groats (see groats, above). In Slavic languages, kasha does not refer specifically to buckwheat groats, but to porridge in general (although buckwheat was one of the earliest porridges). A classic Jewish “comfort food” dish, kasha varnishkes, combines kasha, bow tie pasta (farfalle), onions and mushrooms. See groats.

KHORASAN

Khorasan the Ancient Egyptian word for wheat. It is considered one of the original strains of wheat and was used in ancient times for bread making. It is believed to have originated in the Nile Valley in Egypt about 6,000 years ago.

KAÑIHUACO The flour made from ground kañiwa. KAÑIWA Kañiwa is closely related to quinoa, and is used in similar preparations. A hardy plant that can withstand cold temperatures, it grows in the mountains of southern Peru and Bolivia. Its numerous seeds are 1 millimeter in diameter and are dark brown to black in color. It is very high in protein with sulfur-containing amino acids; however, unlike quinoa, kañiwa has no saponins, phytochemicals that seem to reduce blood cholesterol levels and the risk of cancer and stimulate the immune system.

Kañiwa can be purchased from Amazon.com.

KIDNEY BEANS or RED KIDNEY BEANS Familiar to almost every American, these beans find themselves in baked beans, chili, refried beans, three bean salad (along with string beans and wax beans), Cajun bean dishes and stews. red kidney has made a name for itself as a chili bean. The most common is the dark red kidneybean, Phaseolus vulgaris, which has no markings (unlike the more elegant kidney beans shown in the photo); but there are numerous varieties, including light red kidney beans.

Kidney beans available at Amazon.com.

LEGUME or PULSE

The edible seed of certain leguminous plants, a class of vegetables that includes beans, peas and lentils. Legumes are typically low in fat, high in fiber, cholesterol-free and high in folate, iron, magnesium and potassium. They’re also a good sourceof protein and can be a fat- and cholesterol-free substitute for meat. Examples include beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas and split peas. Beans and lentils are very low in fat, high in fiber and are frequently referred to as “wonder food.” Examples include adzuki beans, anasazi beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, edamame,fava beans, lentils, lima beans, red kidney beans and soy nuts.

LENTIL

Lentils are the seed of a small shrub and is dried after harvesting. Lentils have been eaten for over 8,000 years and originated in southwestern Asia along the Indus River. It is a staple food for many South Asian cultures.Tiny, flat and round, lentils are the fastest cooking of all dried beans that yield a rich, earthy flavor when cooked. The three major varieties are Le Puy, the most intensely-flavored lentil, a tiny green-blue lentil grown without fertilizers in the area around Le Puy en Velay, France, which have a delicate flavor and hold their shape very well; the common green or brown lentil; and yellow and red lentils, which are a staple in Indian cooking, from the spicy Indian dish daal or dal, lentil curry, to the lentil bread daal poori. One can also find ivory lentils, golden lentils and black beluga lentils, so called because they are said to resemble pearls of beluga caviar. Lentils supply a large dose of folate (folic acid), which fights heart disease and prevent birth defects; as well as providing fiber, protein, potassium and magnesium. Lentils are fat-free and absorb spices easily. Versatile, they are used in soups, stews, salads, side dishes.
Mixed lentils, showing black, brown (looks tan), green (speckled), ivory, red (looks like orange) and yellow, available from Amazon.com.

LIMA BEAN or BUTTER BEAN or MADAGASCAR BEAN

Among the most popular shell beans in the U.S., these smooth, flat shaped, sweet-tasting beans have a rich, starchy, meaty texture and a creamy, distinctive flavor. Lima beans are nutrient-dense and their richness generates feelings of satiety. Often referred to in some southern states as “butter beans,” lima beans date back to around 5000 B.C.E. along the coastal regions of South America; they are believed to have originated in Guatemala and Southern Mexico and are called lima after Lima, Peru, where they were discovered by the Spanish in the 1500s. Spanish explorers brought the lima bean to Europe, where it thrived in the temperate climate; the slave trade brought it to Africa. where it became one of the most vital beans on the continent.

Fresh varieties of lima bean sold in their pods can sometimes be found in local markets. Before European settlers reached the Americas, a type of bean believed to be similar to the lima bean was grown by Native Americans in the southwestern and East Coast regions of the U.S. These beans were commonly inter-cropped by Native Americans with corn; hence, the origin of succotash, a side dish that combines lima beans and corn. Limas are also used in casseroles, soups and salads. Lima beans were traded along routes that led into North America; eventually they were carried to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Early explorers stored dry lima beans for long periods on their ships, recognizing that they were a nutritious and highly concentrated food source. In fact, lima beans are a good source of B vitamins (vitamin B6, niacin, folate), protein (including the important amino acid lysine), fiber (especially soluble fiber in the form of pectin), iron, potassium, and magnesium; and they have very little fat. Studies suggest that intake of beans can help to lower LDL cholesterol levels, probably due to their soluble fiber content. Lima beans also contain the phytochemicals coumestrol and saponin, compounds that may impart anticancer benefits. One of the most widely available beans, lima beans come in two sizes: large, flat lima beans (the Giant Peruvian Lima,Phaseolus limensis), also called the butter bean, cape pea, curry bean, lab bean, Fordhook, Madagascar bean or Pole Bean. The other is the baby lima or baby butter bean, which is not a young lima bean but a smaller, milder-tasting variety. Both are sold frozen as well as dried and canned. Beyond Fordhooks and baby limas, there is wide variety of seed sizes, shapes andcolor combinations among lima beans (see the Christmas lima photo at right), but they are less available. Baby lima beans are less starchy than the larger Peruvian/Fordhook variety. Generally, the greener the thinner bean, the better the texture and flavor.

Giant Peruvian lima beans available at Amazon.com. Christmas lima beans available at Amazon.com.Baby butter beans available at Amazon.com.

MANIOC

See cassava.

MASOOR DAL or ORANGE/SPLIT RED LENTILS or ULUNDHU Lentils originated in southwestern Asia along the Indus River, and have been eaten for more than 8,000 years. They are a staple food for many South Asian cultures. Split red lentils have a delicate, nutty taste and are commonly used in India to make spicy dals. They cook very quickly, and are easy to digest. In the West, these lentils are used in soups, stews, bakes, sauces for pasta and salads.

Red lentils available at Amazon.com.

MILLET Likely indigenous to tropical western Africa, millet is grown in many parts of the third world: It has a short growing season under dry, hot conditions. Pearl millet is a staple food crop in Africa, india and Southeast Asia. Varies varieties of millet have been cultivated in East Asia for at leat 10,000 years.

Millet is available on Amazon.com. Photo of pearl millet by Elke Wetzig | Wikimedia.

MOONG DAL or DHULI MOONG or YELLOW LENTILS WITHOUT SKIN or PAYATHAM PARUPPU

These are whole yellow lentils (moong) that are split and hulled. Native to India, they are tiny cylindrical seeds, easy to cook and to digest (in Ayurveda, split moong dal is recommended for children, elderly people and convalescents as it is easily digested). The whole moong beans and split ones are quite different and seldom interchangeable. Their preparation is similar to masoor dal, the split red lentils.

NAVY BEAN or YANKEE BEAN The navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) is a pea-sized, off-white, oval bean, about 3/8-inch long. It is so-named because it has been a staple food for the U.S. Navy since the mid-1800s in soups, pork and beans and other bean dishes (it absorbs flavor easily, so it works well in soups). It is related to the kidney bean and is the most widely known bean in the white bean family. Navy beans have a mild flavor and mealy texture.

Navy beans available at Amazon.com.

PEA Peas (photo at top of page) are a member of the legume family, the seed or seed-pod of the legume Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. It is botanically a fruit because the seeds are contained inside the pod, although like other savory fruits (cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini) it is treated like a vegetable in food preparation. There are many varieties of peas, including cowpeas, pigeon peas, snow peas and snap peas, which are available fresh, frozen or canned; peas are also grown to produce dry peas like thesplit pea.

Fresh peas. Photo by Marta Rostek | SXC.

PIGEON PEA The Pigeon pea (Cajanus indicus) is a bean native to Africa that is now widely used in Caribbean and Southern American cooking. These small beans grow in a long, twisted, fuzzy pod. They are about 1/4 inch round and have a beige color with light brown speckles; color fades with cooking. The flavor is pungent, the texture is mealy texture. They are also known as caja pea, Congo pea, gandule, goongoo pea and toor dal.

Pigeon peas are available at Amazon.com.

PINTO BEAN An oval, beige-colored bean distinguished by its tan splotched surface. It is popular in Mexican dishes including chili, refried beans, rice and beans, soups and stews.

Photo of pinto beans by Scott Bauer, U.S. Agricultural Research Service.

POLENTA or CORN GRITS Polenta is simply coarsely-ground corn, also known as cornmeal, that is cooked with stock or water. It is known in America as cornmeal mush. See also grits. PULSE See legume. QUINOA Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), pronounced KEEN-wa or KEE-noo-ah, is the Quechua (Inca) word for “mother grain” or “super grain.” A broad-leafed, annual herb, quinoa grows wild in the Andes Mountains of South America; it was first cultivated more than 5,000 years ago by the Incas and was, along with corn andpotatoes, the foundation of the Andean diet. When mature, this tall, handsome plant is topped with large plume-like seed heads that range in color from vivid red, orange or yellow to black or white. Quinoa contains more protein—a very high-quality protein—than any other grain. It is equivalent to milk as a protein source. Since quinoa also contains all eight essential amino acids (and particularly rich in lysine), it’s considered a complete protein. It also delivers calcium, fiber, iron, magnesium, vitamins A, B and E and zinc. Both the spinach-like leaves and the tiny seeds are highly nutritious. Before consuming, quinoa seeds must be processed to remove their bitter coating of saponin. After washing or dry polishing, the ready-to-cook seeds are white, red or beige in color. The leaves, which unfortunately seldom reach the consumer, may be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach. Quinoa and red quinoa are available at Amazon.com. Cooked quinoa is delicious and extremely versatile; it may be used in the place of almost any other grain, including rice, to make everything from appetizers to desserts (make quinoa pudding instead of rice pudding). It has a slight nutty flavor (red quinoa is the nuttiest), which makes it a good substitute for couscous or bulgur. It has a unique texture as well. When cooked, the thin germ circlet falls from the seed and remains crunchy while the pearly grain melts in the mouth. RED BEAN or SMALL RED BEAN A reddish-brown bean which can easily be mistaken for the adzuki bean, except that it has a white eye instead of a white stripe. They are commonly used for Mexicanrefried beans. RICE The staple grain of two-thirds of the world’s population, rice is a grass that originated in southeast Asia and Africa. Domesticated rice comes from two species in the Poaceae (“true grass”) family, Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima. O. sativaappears to have been domesticated from wild Asian rice around the foothills of the Himalayas, yielding the short-grained “japonica” or “sinica” varieties (Japanese rice), the long-grained “indica” varieties (basmati rice) and the broad-grained “javonica” varieties. O. glaberrimacomprises the native African rices, which are being replaced in Africa by the introduction of the preferred Asian species. See our complete Rice Glossaryfor more than 45 rice terms. Basmati rice available from Amazon.com.

SCARLET RUNNER BEAN or RUNNER BEAN The runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus, Fabaceae) is often called the scarlet runner bean because of its bright red flowers. The beautiful beans can be pink, purple, red and tan, accented with black. They look handsome on a plate or in a jar as kitchen decor. SEMOLINA Semolina is the gritty, coarse particles of wheat left after the finer flour has passed through a bolting machine, and is used to make pasta. Also known as rava in South India, an essential product in an Indian kitchen, called Indian semolina.

These beautiful runner beans are available onAmazon.com.

SOOJI See farina.   SOY NUTS or ROASTED SOYBEANS Soy nuts are whole soybeans that have been soaked in water and then baked. They are similar in texture to peanuts. Both are members of the legume (bean) family, Fabaceae. Soy nuts are enjoyed as snacks or to garnish salads or vegetable dishes; and are available plain or in a variety of flavors.

Wasabi-flavored soy nuts from Fastachi are available on Amazon.com. Photo courtesy Fastachi.

TAPIOCA Tapioca is a flavorless, colorless, odorless starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant. Gluten free, it is used worldwide as a thickening agent. The starch is processed into several forms: fine or coarse flakes or flour/meal, tiny round pearls, powder and rectangular sticks; the products are traditionally white, but sticks and pearls may be colored brown or vibrant pastels. The form most familiar to American consumers is white pearl tapioca. All forms except flour and powder must be soaked prior to cooking, to rehydrate them; they absorb water equal to twice their volume or more. In all forms, tapioca is opaque before cooking; after cooking it becomes translucent.

This looks like a bowl of tempting candies, but they’re flavorless, odorless tapioca sticks. Photo by Midori | Wikimedia.

TEFF or ANNUAL BUNCH GRASS or LOVEGRASS Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter is believed to have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 B.C.E. Teff seeds were discovered in a pyramid thought to date back to 3359 B.C.E. The grain has been widely cultivated in Australia, Ethiopia and India. In Ethiopia, teff is grown primarily as a cereal crop, where it is ground into flour, fermented for three days then made into enjera (injera), a sourdough-type flat bread. It is also eaten as porridge and used as an ingredient of home-brewed alcoholic drinks. The grass is grown as forage for cattle and is also used as a component in adobe construction in Ethiopia. Teff is barely known in the U.S., although it is cultivated in South Dakota and Idaho and is available in many health food stores.

Teff is available at natural and health food stores, and online at Amazon.com.

The word “teff” is thought to have been derived from the Ethiopian Amharic wordteffa, which means lost—due to small size of the grain and how easily it can be lost if dropped. It is the smallest grain in the world, measuring only about 1/32 of an inch in diameter. It takes 150 grains of teff to weigh as much as one grain of wheat. Because the grains of teff are so small, the bulk of the grain consists of the bran and germ. This makes teff nutrient-dense (the bran and germ are the most nutritious parts of any grain). Teff is high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber. It has a very high calcium content and contains high levels of aluminum, barium, copper, iron, phosphorous and thiamin. It is full of amino acids, and has high lysine levels. It contains no gluten so it can be enjoyed by those with gluten intolerance.

URAD DAL or BLACK LENTILS or ULUTHAM PARUPPU These black lentils are popular in India, used both whole and split. The black skin lends strong and earthy flavor to whole lentils, which are used in curries. When the lentils are split and skinned (becoming off-white in color), they are used for making dal or soups. Urad dal, along with rice, is used to make dosas, the crisp pancakes of southern India, and also to make papadums. In the south of India, urad dal is used as a seasoning with mustard seeds and for curries. These black lentils should not be confused with black beluga lentils.

Urad dal is available at natural and health food stores, and online at Amazon.com.

WHOLE GRAIN

Products made with the whole kernel or grain, which consists of three components: the bran, endosperm and germ. The bran (outer layer) contains the largest amount of fiber, the endosperm (middle layer) contains mostly protein and carbohydrates along with small amounts of B vitamins, and the germ (inner part) is a rich source of trace minerals, unsaturated fats, B vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals.

YANKEE BEAN

See navy bean.