White kidney beans

Varieties and seasons

There are several types of white beans: Lingots, oval and fairly large; cocos, the smallest and roundest variety; Soissons, very large and fairly flat.

Whether it is a lingot or a white coco, this bean is large, round and only slightly mealy, making it ideal for stews and cassoulets.

Haricot beans are kidney-shaped and fairly large and square at the ends. The size of a pea and kidney-shaped, the cannellini or small white bean is a rival of the navy bean or white pea bean.

Vegetable garden: growing white kidney bean

This annual plant is found in bush and climber form.

Depending on the species, after the appearance of lavender, white, pink or red blossoms, pods develop and grow up to 8 to 20 cm long. Each pod contains 4 to 12 seeds, often kidney shaped, and white in colour. The pod remains intact on the plant until it looses its colour and whithers. The beans are therefore picked before the pods open and let the seeds fall to the ground.

Unlike other beans, the whole plant must be uprooted and left to dry in the fields. It is important to wait until the plant loses its leaves before picking the pods.

Production

The main producers are India, Brazil, Mexico, the US and China.

Consumption

Around 85% of dry beans are consumed in the countries in which they are grown.

The countries that consume most dry beans are India, Brazil, Mexico, the US and China. However, in India and China, the most commonly eaten beans are Vigna beans, and in particular mung beans.

Regionally, Latin America is the biggest consumer, with 15 kg consumed per person, mainly coloured beans, such as Pinto, black, red and cranberry beans.

The consumption of dry vegetables dropped dramatically between 1920 (7.3 kg/person/year) and 1985 (1.4 kg/person/year). Over the last few years, the consumption of dry vegetables has remained stable, and has even tended to increase slightly, due to industrial preparations and the development of different forms of preservation (1996: 1.6 kg/person/year).

A SU.VI.MAX study revealed that the average consumption of dry vegetables is 12 g/d for men aged 45 to 60 and 8 g/d for women aged 35 to 60.

For thousands of years, kidney beans, along with maize, represented the stable ingredient in the diets of people across the American continent, where they are still very popular.

Nutritional values (per 100 g)

Nutritionist’s advice

White beans, like all dry vegetables, are the richest in protein of all vegetable foodstuffs.

Nutritionists recommended that a balanced diet should contain a blend of animal proteins (meat, fish, milk) and vegetable proteins (bread, cereals, dry vegetables).

These vegetable proteins offer many benefits, including the absence of fat, which helps prevent heart disease and obesity.

Rich in fibre, like all of its cousins in the bean/pea family, the white bean has a high level of iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin B9.

What is about portions...?

-a child portion : one handful

-an adult portion : two big handfuls

Cooking and nutrition: tasty combinations

-Cassoulet: Lingot or white coco beans are not particularly mealy and ideal for cassoulets and any similar type of stew. In this recipe, the beans are simmered for a long time with bacon, sausage and other fatty cooked meats. The mixture works its magic to produce a hearty and yet full-flavoured, easily digested and nutritious meal. It contains fibre, complex carbohydrates, vegetable and animal proteins, vitamins, iron and magnesium…

-In salads: Cooked white kidney beans marry perfectly with aromatic herbs and tangy vinaigrettes. With savoury, parsley and tarragon, white kidney beans offer a delightful mixture of sophisticated, mild, almost sweet flavours.

>> See all of the foundation’s recipes