The pinto bean is the mottled beige-and-brown seed of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, and the most popular dried bean in the United States and Mexico. Its name is Spanish for painted, after the reddish-tan speckling that streaks the raw seed; cooked, the markings vanish and the bean turns a soft, creamy, earthy brown. It is the bean of refried beans, chili and frijoles.