Chieftain^® Wild Rice Company

HABAS ( PEELED FAVA )

Description:

The Fava (FAH-vah) Bean, which is actually a member of the pea family, is a flat, meaty, oval bean that is encased in an inedible large pod.  The Haba is a peeled Fava bean.  These beans are one of the oldest known cultivated plants and are known by a multitude of names, Broad bean, Butter bean, Windsor bean, Horse bean and English bean.  About ¾ to 1 inch in length, they have a strong, slightly bitter and earthy flavor with a granular texture.   Part of cuisines all around the Mediterranean, the Chinese have eaten them for more than 5000 years.  Once the only bean known to Europeans until the discovery of the "new world", Fava beans have been found in some of the earliest known human settlements and are referred to in legends and lore throughout history.  The Fava lineage goes back to ancient Egypt as 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.  A symbol of spring in Italy, Fava beans are mashed or pureed and spread on crostini, added to stews, ragouts and soups.  Low in calories, Fava beans have high concentrations of L-dopa (dopamine), an amino acid that is a neurotransmitter in the brain.

Suggested Use:

Using Haba beans instead of Fava saves a fair amount of time when preparing recipes.    Sauté Habas with onions and fennel, or make a bean sauce or bean stew.  Make a delicious spread of Habas, olive oil, onions, tomatoes and spices.  Goes well with spices like dill and thyme.  One cup dry yields 1 ½ cooked.

Substitutions:  Lima, Brown, Chickpeas or Soybeans.