Fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a springtime crop that is grown and eaten around the world. One of the oldest known cultivated plants, fava beans date back to about 6000 BCE and were eaten by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and settlers of the eastern Mediterranean. Today, fava beans are part of Asian, Middle Eastern, European, South American, and African cuisines. Fresh favas can be eaten raw, cooked, edible leaves for salads, or dried for use later, and the versatile bean can be used for salads, stews, sauces, fillings, snacks, and more.
Flavor: Fava beans have a delicate, buttery and nutty taste with a trace of light bitterness. Many fava fans describe the bean as tasting like spring, with a lightly sweet vegetal flavor. Dried fava beans have a mild flavor similar to dried chickpeas.
Cook:
Since fava beans are eaten around the world, there are a multitude of recipes available for using the springtime crop. Narrow your choices down by fresh or dried bean recipes, since they will differ greatly in preparation and flavor. Dried beans are often used to make soups, stews, pastes, and falafel. Fresh beans are sautéed, boiled, steamed, roasted, or fried. They can also be added raw to salads or pestos, or lightly cooked and tossed with other springtime vegetables like artichokes and asparagus