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Fava Beans: Starting to Harvest
Photo from: PJ Chmiel |
Arag, Ast, Gal,
faba,
OCast
haua, L.
Vicia
faba mino, Ar.
bajilla or
lūbīā, Fr.
haricot (a
variety of), Eng. broad bean, fava bean. It
is believed that this legume, a native of Persia, was being cultivated by 2300
B.C. It spread through Egypt, Greece and Italy. It is not known if the fava
bean is named for the Fabios, a very noble Roman family or visa versa.
During their conquests, the Romans
took the bean to other European areas for human consumption and as horse feed.
In the Middle East, the bean was despicable food for shepherds and the lower
classes. The Hebrews carried on this contempt for the bean, calling it
commoner’s food.
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broad beans (fava) DS 46092
Photo from: Flavio Massari |
Later the Celts spread the use of
the bean for which it has been referred to as the Celtic bean and was consumed
all over Europe. In medieval Spain, Jews served it as a good cold snack on the
Sabbath. They celebrated the Passover and other occasions with broad bean
dishes. In one of their recipes, for board beans is served as a sweet dish with
almond milk.
In Spain, they took on the good
connotations like Jack’s beanstalk was the ladder to heaven. The bean became a
lucky charm. In Christian Spain, the fava bean was not only good luck but also
an object of jest. Several regions name a person to be King Fava, the
equivalent of the Lord of the Fools, on December 28th (the European
equivalent of April 1, April Fool’s Day, in the United States) or on New Years
Eve. Traditionally he plays jokes on others or visa versa depending on the
locality. At the same time, it is known that the kings of Castile were not
jesting when they ate fava pottage. They truly liked it.
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fava flower
Photo from: matt_wilson89 |
In Al-Andalus, the fava flower was
one of the most treasured in Muslim gardens of the 11th C where the
fava bean had become part of ordinary food. A household staple was broad bean pottage
with chicken liver. Four varieties of the bean were known at that time, black
fava or bajema, the red or Egyptian, the white or Greek-Roman and the bachaly,
which was grown in Babylon throughout the winter. They were used in narcotics
and for attracting hunted birds such as crows and pigeons.
By the end of the 13 C, the fava
took on regional traits in cooking. Mixed with lamb, garum and vinegar, it was
served as a puree or it could be left whole and combined with noodles or
vegetables. The Anón Al-Andalus gives
two recipes for broad beans one with lamb, spinach and lettuce and the other is a
mixed vegetable dish mixed with eggs and cheese.
Fadalat gives a
recipe for pureed fava beans with lamb.
Sent Soví´s are mixed
with almond milk. When in season, Nola uses almond milk or goat's milk in
his recipe for “Royal Fava Beans”.
In medieval England, fava beans
and bacon were standard fare. The
Ordiance of Pottage provides a recipe for a soup also containing leeks and
other greens. The English celebrated Christmas with pork and beans. In the
spring, they ate young beans with suckling pig.
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VOLT - "Pork and Beans"
Photo from: Edsel Little |
As in ancient times, even today a
handful of fresh fava beans signifies a meal for many. Favas and lentils have
been as important as daily bread. There are 12 species of beans in this legume
family, some of which are green or French. This does not include beans of the Passels
vulgaris family, natives of America and unknown to Europe until the 16 C.
Although not as digestible as grain, fava beans contain more protein.
Medicinally, the bean and the flowers were consumed for their diuretic properties.
See fabada,
judía and vicias.
[Anón/Grewe.
1982:CXVI
:141; Anón/Huici.1966:351:193:373:205; Castro.
Alimentación.
1996:149:174; ES:
FAO. Ch 28. Feb 2, 98; Hartley. 1999:106:110:125; Hieatt.
Ordinance. 1988:123; Ibn Razīn/Granja.1960:140:26;
Ibn Zuhr/García Sánchez. 1992:48;
Martínez Llopis. Historia.1981:108;
Nola. 1989:lxx-2; and Nola
/Iranzo. 1982:169]
FAVA BEANS IN ALMOND MILK ADAPTED FROM SENT SOVI CAPÍTOL CXVI QUI
PARLA CON SE APARELLEN FFAVES TENDRES AB LET DE AMELLES, p 141
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Skined Fava Beans
Photo by: Lord-Williams |
Ingredients
1 lb favas removed from the pod and peeled
½ c almonds
2 2/3 c vegetable broth
¼ c olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp basil
½ tsp ginger
scrapings
1 ¾ tbsp sour grape juice or 3 ½ tbsp vinegar
Preparation
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A Meal for Many
Photo by: Lord-Williams |
Boil almonds in water. Peel them and chop them in a food
processor. Add 2 2/3 c vegetable broth and blend. Strain this through a
cheesecloth into a pot.
Wash the favas in hot water. Boil them in almond milk, olive
oil and salt. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Boil gently 4-6 minutes until
tender.
When almost cooked add finely chopped herbs, Duke’s powder
and finally ginger scrapings and sour grape juice or vinegar. Add salt to
taste. Serve in bowls.
CAPÍTOL CXVI[2] QUI PARLA CON SE
APARELLEN
FFAVES TENDRES AB LET DE AMELLES
RECETA
DE ANÓN/GREWE, SENT SOVÍ, p 141
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Si vols
aperella ffaves tendres ab let de amelles, se ffa axí: Prin les ffaves, e
leva-les[3] bé ab aygua calda, que
tentost són cuytes. E ages let de amelles, e mit-les a coura ab la let e ab
holi y ab sal; e mit-hi se [221 r.] ba escaldade ab aygua bulent. E quant
deuran ésser cuytes, mit-hi jurvert e alfàbegua e moradux e d’altres bones
espícies, e un poc de gingebre[4] e de gras[5]
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TRADDUCIÓN DEL CATALÁN ANTIGUO AL CASTELLANO POR
JOSEP LLADONOSA COCINA MEDIEVAL, p 81
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Se
lava las habas con agua caliente y se ponen después a cocer con la leche de
almendras, el aceite y la sal. Cuando estén casi cocidas se agrega el
perejil, la mejorana y albahaca todo cortado a trocitos pequeños, así como
polvoraduque. En el ultimo instante se incorpora el agraz y unas raspaduras
de jengibre.
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TENDER FAVAS IN ALMOND MILK
TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH BY: LORD-WILLIAMS
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If you want to
prepare tender favas in almond mil kit is done like this: Frist take the
favas and wash then in hot water. After that boil them in almond milk with
oil and salt. When almost done add finely chopped parsley, marjoram and
basil. Add duke’s powder. Finally add sour grape juice and ginger shavings.
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