advantageous genetic trait before malaria was
brought under control.
Food Words: Bean, Frijol
The term “bean” that we apply to many
different legumes from Eurasia, East Asia,
and the Americas originally referred only
to the fava bean. The Indo-European root
bhabha gave us both “fava” and “bean.” By
Greek and Roman times, the African
cowpea or black-eyed pea was also known
in the Mediterranean and given the Latin
nam e phaseolus — the source of the
Spanish frijol, and the scientific name for
the common beans from the New World.Chickpea or Garbanzo Chickpeas are a
native of arid southwest Asia, and like the
fava bean, pea, and lentil have been cultivated
for about 9,000 years. There are two general
types, desi and kabuli. Desi are closer to the
wild chickpea, with small seeds, a thick, tough