Sword bean

Canavalia gladiata · Vegetable

40 pairings

The sword bean (Canavalia gladiata) — named for its long, flat, sabre-shaped pod — is a vigorous tropical legume whose enormous immature pods are eaten as a green vegetable across South and Southeast Asia and East Asia. Picked young and tender, the flat pod snaps like a broad green bean, with a mild, faintly grassy, bean-like taste; left to mature it fills with large hard seeds that must be well cooked to be safe.

Picking a good onedrag

Flat, soft-walled, seeds unformedStringy and leathery, or slimy

Market freshThe standard article: sliced across and stir-fried hard or simmered in curry until soft through. Not crunchy-raw - the young seeds inside are what needs the heat.Everyday best

The podGreen, edge thickening, faint seed bumps showing

The snapSnaps, but the break face is already dry

Stem end and seamCut end drying pale, seam firm but still closed

Smell at the breakFaintly green, close to neutral

What to look for, from flat, soft-walled, seeds unformed to stringy and leathery, or slimy.

Preparing