Broad Bean

Broad Bean Overview

Vicia faba is an annual species from the Fabaceae family, commonly known by the names Broad Bean, Faba Bean and Fava Bean, amongst many others. Preferring cool and moist conditions, this bean makes a reliable winter crop. Establishing itself very quickly, it is an ideal variety for children to grow. The glossy plump pods produce tender meaty white beans, that when cooked have a lovely creamy texture. Broad beans are part of the legume family, adding Nitrogen to the area planted with the help of mycorrhizal organisms. It serves as a soil conditioner for new soils or depleted areas and is important in the rotation of vegetable beds. The Greeks and Romans used the broad bean for balloting, black seeds to signify opposition and white seeds agreement. This custom lingered in England in the election of the king and queen for Twelfth Night, where a bean was baked into a cake, and the man in whose portion it was found became King of the Bean and leader of the celebrations for the night.