30 Different Types of Beans: Taste Profiles and Best Uses!

The many types of beans have universal spaces in many cuisines around the world. Native Americans sourced beans from the ground and used them as a source of protein alongside meat and other gathered produce. According to historians, the very word “bean” originates from Germanic tribes before the twelfth century. 

The versatility of the family of plants under Fabaceae lends itself to a litany of preparations. Based on taste profiles, certain dishes use specific beans prepared a certain way (like boiled, fried, peeled, or raw). 

Keep reading to discover 30 types of beans, their unique flavor profiles, and some of the best uses for that specific bean.

Common Beans

Kidney Beans

As one of the most popular varieties of the common bean, kidney beans have a few different classifications. Kidney beans have different colors, like red, speckled, or white. They got their name for their resemblance to the kidney organ.

Kidney beans have a higher toxicity percentage than other beans. When cooking raw kidney beans, they must undergo a pre-soak and boil for at least 10 minutes, though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends 30 minutes. Most canned kidney beans are at a safe level out of the can; part of the canning process involves cooking for human consumption. As little as five raw, uncooked kidney beans will induce severe food poisoning with nausea and vomiting. 

What do kidney beans taste like? Depending on the way you cook kidney beans, the natural meaty flavor will shine through. Some think they’re slightly sweet or have a bit of an earthy flavor. 

What are the best uses for kidney beans? Most commonly you’ll find kidney beans in southern-style American cooking, Mexican cooking, and some Indian dishes. Dishes that include kidney beans are chili con carne, rajma, brenebon, and the much-loved Monday Creole dish of red beans and rice. 

Black Beans

Black beans remain most popular in Latin, American, Creole, and Cajun cuisines. Their full name is the black turtle bean (named as such for their hard outer shell prior to cooking). In addition to cooking black beans, some recipes call to save the water you boil the black beans in to use it as a broth or soup at another time.

What do black beans taste like? Most people agree that black beans have an earthy, sweet flavor that spices can accentuate. Using garlic, onion, or bay elevates the flavor profile from slightly sweet to sweet-savory. With a slightly meaty flavor as well, these beans are staples of vegetarian cuisines.

What are the best uses for black beans? Cuisines across the globe use black beans widely as both a main and a “mix-in” for many dishes. Black beans on tortillas or burritos, black bean dip, black bean and corn salad, black bean soup, and simply with rice are just some of the popular uses for black beans.

Pinto Beans

Based on crop production, these are the most popular beans in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. When making refried beans, pinto beans remain the top choice. Some choose to combine them with black beans too. Brazilian cuisine also feature pinto beans. 

What do pinto beans taste like? The flavor of a pinto bean departs from some of the other common beans because they have a slightly nutty flavor. The sweet nuttiness pairs well with a plethora of other spices, making the bean even more versatile.

What are the best uses for pinto beans? Besides their use as mashed up and seasoned in refried beans, Spanish, Mexican, and Brazilian cuisines hold pinto beans dear to their national heritages as a nutritious and filling main dish that.

Navy Beans

A great source of fiber, navy beans got their name from the U.S. military branch that has served them to sailors since the early 1800s — not their color, which is a striking, pure white. Australia also plays a large role in the history of the navy bean. The country began production of them during World War II to supply troops with something nutritious and filling, which facilitated the widespread planting of these beans. Today, Kingaroy in Queensland stands as the Baked Bean Capital of the World because of its role as a military base in World War II and its navy bean production. 

What do navy beans taste like? Navy beans have a velvety texture. As far as taste profile goes, navy beans tend to take on the flavor of what they’re cooked with but can have a slightly nutty taste on their own.

What are the best uses for navy beans? Navy beans create the quintessential “baked bean” side dish. You can also use them in Senate bean soup and some savory pies.

Cannellini Beans

Cannellini is a less-commonly used variety of white bean when compared to the navy bean. These beans remain most popular in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom based on their uses from World War II. They provide a great source of the phospholipid phosphatidylserine, which helps in cell signaling.

What do cannellini beans taste like? Unlike navy beans, cannellini beans have a fluffy texture rather than velvety when cooked. Their taste, however, mirrors the slightly nutty flavor of the navy bean.  

What are the best uses for cannellini beans? White beans like cannellini pair best with something slightly acidic and savory, like a tomato. Throw some cannellini beans in a pasta dish with spinach and sun-roasted tomato, or cook them down with garlic and tomato and serve with toasted fresh bread. Other cuisines use cannellini beans in some soups — again, with tomato.

Lentils

While lentils remain different from beans based on both look, taste, and nutritious value, they still belong to the legume family. There are dozens of types of lentils, but we’ll focus on a few that cook well with and taste most similar to beans. 

Green Lentils

Similar to their cousin the brown lentil, green lentils hold their shape well during and after the cooking process. Their strong flavor makes them a great companion to side dishes or warm salads. 

What do green lentils taste like? Green lentils have a slightly peppery taste.

What are the best uses for green lentils? The flavor profile of green lentils makes them a great addition to stews, sloppy joes, pasta dishes, taco fillings, and vegan or vegetarian “beef” patties. 

Red Lentils

Lentils in this group range in color between gold, orange, and red. Like many common beans, these lentils have a sweet and nutty flavor. Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines use red lentils for many classic dishes. 

What do red lentils taste like? Red lentils have a “split” nature, meaning they’ll disintegrate easily when cooked well. The sweetness of their flavor profile, combined with how they “mash” after cooking, gives a unique flavor profile. 

What are the best uses for red lentils? Most famously, red lentils create the Indian specialty dish dhal. They’re also pureed and feature well in stews and soups. 

Black Beluga Lentils

Black beluga lentils look like caviar when they’re cooked. However, they don’t carry any sort of a fishy taste. These specialty lentils work well with any kind of protein. 

What do black beluga lentils taste like? Surprisingly, these lentils are similar to a mushroom’s earthy flavor! Because they hold their shape well, unlike red lentils, they’re great to use both cooked and raw.  

What are the best uses for black beluga lentils? Because they taste similar to mushrooms, modern chefs have decided to use them with other foraged greens — and mushrooms themselves — to create earthy stews. Some choose to braise the beans and eat them on flatbread. 

Chickpeas

Garbanzo Beans

When you think of chickpeas, you’re actually thinking about a garbanzo bean. These are one of the oldest beans known to humans, with nearly 10,000-year-old remains of the legume found throughout the Middle East. These are key ingredients in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. 

What do garbanzo beans taste like? Garbanzo beans have an almost bland flavor and shine best when enhanced with other flavors like pepper, garlic, or cumin. Some claim the flavor profile has nutty or earthy tastes, but the true flavor really depends on the way you prepare garbanzo beans. 

What are the best uses for garbanzo beans? Most often, garbanzo beans are crushed and mashed into hummus and falafel.

Black Chickpeas

Different from garbanzo beans are black chickpeas. While still used similarly in cuisines, black chickpeas are denser than garbanzo beans and have more protein and soluble fiber. 

What do black chickpeas taste like? Unlike garbanzo beans, black chickpeas keep their structure and don’t break down when cooked. They also have a robust, nutty flavor — much stronger compared to the bland flavor of garbanzo beans without any additives. 

What are the best uses for black chickpeas beans? Black chickpeas lend themselves well to many Indian dishes, including masala, curry, and kala chana. 

Specialty Beans

Black-Eyed Peas

As a subspecies of the cowpea plant, black-eyed peas originated in West Africa and are primarily white with a large black spot in the middle. Historians believe residents of China and Africa harvested black-eyed peas since prehistoric times. That makes black-eyed peas one of the oldest legumes used worldwide.

What do black-eyed peas taste like? Depending 

What are the best uses for black-eyed peas beans? Dozens of cultures rely on black-eyed peas as part of their cuisine, including:

• Africa, where when mixed with onions, garlic, a slice of meat, and tomato juice, it makes the most famous dish in Egypt.
• The Middle East, in a pudding called moin-moin.
• Asia, in curry dishes.
• Europe, in a cold salad with fish.
• North America, in regional dishes like Hoppin’ John and Texas caviar.
• Latin America, in a traditional street food called acarajé. 

Butter Beans (Lima Beans)

Most commonly known as lima beans, butter beans have seen domestication in Mesoamerica since 2000 BC. Like some other beans, lima beans are toxic raw and can damage the organs of humans and animals if ingested without proper cooking.

What do butter beans taste like? Lima beans have a mild, creamy, buttery flavor that sops up the flavors of whatever sauce they’re simmering with well.

What are the best uses for butter beans? In southern American cuisine, simple cooked lima beans with butter function as a staple side dish to meats and potatoes. 

Exotic Beans

Fava Beans (Broad Beans)

Fava beans function as both a cover crop — plants that help manage soil rather — and a crop produced across the world for cuisines. Some people suffer from favism, a condition linked to the disorder known as G6PDD. Those with this condition have a hemolytic response to eating fava beans.

What do fava beans taste like? Cooked fava beans have a buttery flavor and creamy texture, though some palates pick up a hint of bitterness depending on the beans’ preparation. Eaten dried, fava beans taste a lot like chickpeas.  

What are the best uses for fava beans? Egyptian eat fava beans daily. They remain a main ingredient in falafel, mashed and eaten with bread as a breakfast dish, or shelled and dried eat as a snack.

Borlotti Beans

Also known as cranberry beans, this species of bean has a distinctive hazelnut color with magenta, red, and black splatters (hence the name cranberry). Specifically grown in Italy, borlotti beans have a thick shell.  

What do borlotti beans taste like? Like many other beans on this list, the cranberry or borlotti bean has a creamy, nutty flavor.  

What are the best uses for borlotti beans? Most often used in Italian soups, borlotti beans are also used in summer side salads or on their own in a dish.

Rare Beans

Scarlet Runner Beans

Also known as runner beans and butter beans (but not to be confused with lima beans, which are different), scarlet runner beans remain one of the oldest varieties of beans. Harvests date back to 2000 BC in Guatemala and Mexico. In addition to eating the beans produced by the plant, people like to plant scarlet runner as an ornamental plant for its flowers. 

What do scarlet runner beans taste like? Whether you eat them raw or cooked, runner beans have the distinct flavors of leafy green vegetables like spinach or kale. If you like leafy greens, you’ll enjoy the runner bean’s mild taste.

What are the best uses for scarlet runner beans? British cuisine features runner beans in a side dish known as Judiones de la Granja, which combines them with pig’s ears. 

Anasazi Beans

Anasazi beans aren’t as widely spread as the other varieties of common beans. Only recently have commercial growers adopted the bean for farming. 

What do Anasazi beans taste like? Like other beans in its family, the Anasazi bean has a slightly nutty and earthy flavor. Some palates might pick up hints of sweetness. 

What are the best uses for Anasazi beans? Surprisingly, Anasazi beans are perfect for baking thanks to their meat-like texture that can hold its shape when combined with other ingredients.

Yellow Eye Beans

Yellow eye beans may look like peas, but as soon as they’re cooked they transform to look like pinto beans. Similar to the black-eyed pea, the yellow eye beans have a primarily white body with a yellow-gold splotch in the middle. 

What do yellow eye beans taste like? Cooked, yellow eye beans have a melt-in-your-mouth buttery flavor that takes on nearly any other spice or herb you’d like to pair with it. 

What are the best uses for yellow eye beans? Because of their versatility and rareness, there isn’t one most common use for yellow eye beans. They’re great side dishes to ham, pair with seasonal vegetables for wonderful stews, and even turn into finger-licking-good dips.

Asian Beans

Adzuki (Red Bean)

Commonly known as “red bean” or “red mung bean,” the Adzuki bean features prominently in many Asian cuisines for both sweet and savory dishes. While some are red, the bean can range in color from brown to black, white, gray, and mottled colors.

What do adzuki beans taste like? Overall, these beans have a sweet, nutty flavor. 

What are the best uses for adzuki beans? Adzuki beans combine well with sugar during boiling to make red bean paste that locals love. This paste can either fill or top sweet and savory dishes like baozi, mooncakes, taiyaki, daifuku, and anpan. 

Mung Beans

With uses in both savory and sweet dishes, this interesting legume is most often cultivated and harvested in different parts of Asia. 

What do mung beans taste like? Mung beans have an off-putting smell but carry a sweet and nutty flavor in their taste profile like other beans.  

What are the best uses for mung beans? Chinese cuisine uses mung beans to create warmed and chilled desserts while Bangladeshi cuisine uses the raw, stripped bean to make mug dal. Furthermore, mung beans steamed and seasoned with spices and freshly grated coconut make an infamous dish in the Middle East.  

Soybeans (Edamame)

If you’re looking for a bean with many uses, turn to the soybean. It has so many that if you develop an allergy to soy, it’s incredibly difficult to find something without the substance. Some choose to eat soybeans raw, process them to obtain the oil, or ferment and then eat them. 

What do soybeans taste like? Departing sharply from the other beans on the list, edamame has a clear grassy flavor that takes a bit of getting used to if you aren’t used to the “beany” flavor of edamame.  

What are the best uses for soybeans? Soybeans have a large variety of uses, including making tofu, soy milk, and soy sauce among many other products. Many people eat soybeans as edamame right out of the sleeves they grow in.

African Beans

Bambara Beans

Also known as the “Congo goober” or “earth pea,” the Bambara bean gets its name from the Bambara tribe in West Africa. Bambara beans are one of, if not the top, most important legumes in the continent of Africa. It’s both a food source and a source of income for many tribes, ranking only behind the peanut and the cowpea in terms of importance.

What do Bambara beans taste like? Flavor experts describe the taste of a Bambara bean as a cross because a chickpea and a pinto bean, with notes of sweetness, nuttiness, and earthiness rolled into one. 

What are the best uses for Bambara beans? Thanks to the bean’s high protein content, Nigeria and other African countries use the Bambara bean for both food and beverage. Some are ground into a fine powder and combined with other ingredients to create the classic Okpa breakfast food. During the rainy season, many choose to cook the Bambara bean with its shell on and simply eat that as a snack.

Cowpeas

Cowpeas have a wide breadth of use thanks to their versatility. In addition to boiling, they can be dried and ground into powder or paste. It’s of use for many things, including as an additive to infant formula. 

What do cowpeas beans taste like? Cowpeas have a uniquely starchy flavor, which then morphs into a mixture of earthiness and nuttiness. Depending on the strain of cowpea you eat, you may get a more buttery flavor. Or, you may have a species that tastes more like the common vegetable taste. 

What are the best uses for cowpeas beans? Almost all of the cowpea is used in Africa — the bean, leaves, and green seeds are edible. Most culinary uses of cowpeas focus on boiling them for inclusion in curries, purees, casseroles, and soups. 

Native American Beans

Hopi Beans

A few different types of Hopi beans exist, but the most common and traditional is the Hopi purple string bean or mawiwjwa. These beans look like a black-bean-white bean hybrid with deep purple flecks over a primarily white body. They’re adaptable plants and drought resistant — one of the reasons the Native Americans relied so heavily on this plant for sustenance. 

What do Hopi beans taste like? The Hopi purple string bean cooks and tastes just like a black bean — just bigger. They are full-flavored and can take on or accentuate the flavors of the herbs, spices, and vegetables with which they’re cooked.  

What are the best uses for Hopi beans? These beans were used in Native American cuisines in a variety of ways. In modern times, descendants of tribes that relied on these beans have created Boiled Bean sauce and bean sew to preserve the heritage and use of these beans. 

Miscellaneous Beans

In addition to the beans mentioned above, some other famous beans exist that either fall outside of the categories above or are small subspecies of the already-mentioned varieties. 

• Cocoa beans: Coming from cocoa trees, cocoa beans are the main ingredient in chocolate. They are not technically legumes, but seeds.
• Coffee beans: Similar to cocoa beans, coffee beans are the building block of the world’s favorite caffeinated beverage. They are also not a legume, but a seed.
• Fayot beans: These are kidney beans harvested early. Culinary uses include cooking with other ingredients for stews, soups, and chilis. Instead of red, these beans are white or green. 
• Gigante beans: These are longer white runner beans that feature prominently in Greek cuisines.
• Great northern beans: Similar to cannellini beans, chili recipes use great northern beans often.
• Long beans: A type of string bean, long beans most often feature in soups and stir-fry dishes.
• Snow peas: Technically falling under the bean family, snow peas come from a cold-resistant plant make their way into many Asian dishes (specifically stir fry recipes).

Beans, Beans, the Magical Legume

With so many different ways to prepare and eat beans, it’s no wonder this staple food finds a spotlight in nearly every major cuisine around the world. For generations, humans have found unique ways to incorporate beans into each part of a meal, including appetizers, entrees, and even desserts.

If you’re interested in learning more about beans, discover the difference between butter beans and lima beans, or read a complete guide on how to grow beans in your backyard garden. 

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/piyaset