Kidney beans just are the seeds from green beans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can be surprised by something that we didn’t ever think about. I grew up in a city (Pittsburgh) and never considered if green beans and kidney beans were related. On the new books shelf at the Cole and Ustick branch of the Boise Public Library I found a 2024 book by Wendy Hutton titled Asian Vegetables: A Cook’s Bible. It contains the following description for green beans and kidney beans:

 

Green Beans [page 17]:

 

“Green Beans are probably the most widely eaten fresh beans in the world. Also known as haricot beans, French beans or in the U.S. as string beans, they are native to Mexico and Guatemala. Green beans are now eaten throughout Asia, although in some countries they are less popular than long beans. If left to mature, the almost negligible seeds inside the young green pods will swell to form legumes. When these are dried, they turn red and are known as kidney beans (see page 20).”

 

Kidney Beans [page 20]

 

“Kidney Beans are the mature seeds of the common green bean (see page 17). In India, where several types of kidney beans are grown, they are known as rajmah. Usually available dry, the beans are dark red in color when fully matured. Fresh kidney beans are sold already shelled in India and Indonesia.”

 

I have made Three Bean Salad from canned green beans, wax beans, and kidney beans.

 

Images of green beans and kidney beans (rajma) came from Wikimedia Commons.