Green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are native to the Americas and were possibly first domesticated in the Mesoamerican region (Mexico, Guatamala etc), then travelled south along with squash and maize, making up the “three sisters” central to indigenous American Indian culture. With their high lysine component, green beans eaten with corn provided a more effective source of protein in the diet of indigenous people. Today, beans are grown in every continent except Antarctica.
What we call green beans today are, in fact, the edible, unripe, young fruit and protective pods of the common bean, and may be called French beans, string beans, snap beans among other names. They are harvested and eaten in their protective pods before the seeds inside have fully matured. In the past, green beans contained a “string”…
