Long Beans / Yardlong Beans

Also known asLong Beans · Snake Beans · Kacang Panjang · Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis · 豆角 · 长豆角

Name: Long beans, also called yardlong beans, snake beans or asparagus beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis) — very long, thin, flexible green pods, often 30 to 50 cm in length, with a firmer, chewier, slightly nutty taste than green beans. They are a relative of the black-eyed pea.

Description

Long beans are native to Asia, a subspecies of cowpea that was developed in southern China and Southeast Asia, where it has been grown for centuries. They are a staple of Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Malay cooking, sold in bundles of long, trailing pods, and grown on trellises.

They are not true beans in the sense of the common bean, but they are cooked similarly, and keep their crisp-chewy texture when stir-fried. Their flavour is more earthy and savoury than green beans, and they hold up well to strong flavours.

Main nutrition value

Long beans provide vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, iron, potassium and fibre, and are low in calories.

How best to be consumed

Long beans are cut into short lengths and cooked briefly.

1. Cut into 5 cm pieces and stir-fry with garlic, chilli and shrimp paste or minced pork.
2. Cook in Thai curries and Malaysian sambal dishes.
3. Blanch and serve in salads, as in Thai som tam, or in Indonesian gado-gado.
4. Eat young pods raw in Thai and Vietnamese salads in small amounts.
5. Choose slender, bright green, firm pods, and store in the fridge.

Overconsumption could cause…

Long beans are safe and healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always cook beans thoroughly.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates in beans and peas, particularly if you are not used to eating them.
3. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes.
4. Stringiness and toughness if the pods are old or overcooked.

GroupsPods, Beans and PeasLegume familyLow fatLow sodiumRich in folateFresh

Related foodsSnow PeasSugar Snap PeasFrench BeansGreen BeansWax BeansGreen Peas

Wikipedia — Cowpea, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpea