Fava bean
Vicia faba · Legume
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Also called the broad bean: a large, flat green bean, buttery and grassy-sweet once blanched and peeled, and the base of ful medames. In people with G6PD deficiency it can trigger favism, a breakdown of red blood cells.
Picking a good onedrag
Just picked, pods springyLimp, browning, tough
Market freshEveryday bestShell, blanch and peel, then cook briefly. Have G6PD deficiency? Avoid them, cooked or raw.
The podGreen and firm, bloom rubbed off
Bend and squeezeFirm, bends a little, then snaps
Stem endCut end drying, a pale rim forming
Smell of the crateFaintly green, mostly neutral