bean
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A bean is a type of seed or pod from a legume plant that is commonly eaten as a vegetable or protein source. Beans are important to human nutrition and agriculture around the world, with varieties like the French bean being widely cultivated and consumed.
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Article
20 sectionsContents
- Etymology and naming
- History
- Diversity
- Taxonomic range
- Conservation of cultivars
- Cultivation
- Agronomy
- Production
- Uses
- Culinary
- Other
- Health concerns
- Toxins
- Other hazards
- In human society
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
thumb|right|French bean pods on a plant
A bean is the seed of plants in many genera of the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are sold fresh or preserved through drying (a pulse). Beans have been cultivated since the seventh millennium BCE in Thailand, and since the second millennium BCE in Europe and in Peru. Most beans, with the exception of peas, are summer crops. As legumes, the plants fix nitrogen and form seeds with a high protein content. They are produced on a scale of millions of tons annually in many countries, with India as the largest producer.