Sprouting Dry Fava Beans

While fresh fava beans are incomparable in their sweet tenderness, dried fava beans, available in pound packages in Chinese grocery stores and by mail order, are also very tasty and unusual. After being sprouted, they are nutty, sweet, and as mealy as roasted chestnuts. The drying process was first initiated for preservation, but it has long since established its gastronomical merit. The delicious sprouted beans are a popular nibbler in the eastern part of China. They are very inexpensive, and a pound will yield 6 cups of sprouted beans.