Appears in
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

By Andrew F. Smith

Published 2004

  • About
Beans and bean products are diet staples worldwide. The history of beans in the Americas in general and the United States in particular is highly colorful, literally—including, with a great deal of crossover, brown pintos, black beans, red beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans, and soybeans. Most varieties of beans are grown in the United States, whether or not they are indigenous.