fava beans Often called broad beans, these are available fresh (in springtime) or dried. The fresh beans come in a large flat bean pod and, unless they are very young and tender, must be shelled like peas. The individual beans look like large fat lima beans. They have an outer skin which is tough in very mature beans; if you have beans with tough skins, blanch them and slip off their skins, or wait until they are cooked to slip off the skins. Dried favas are available in Italian and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Try to find split and skinned dried favas; they cook more quickly.
