Organic Black Turtle Beans
Country of Origin: Mongolia
Black turtle beans
The small, shiny black turtle bean is especially popular in Latin American cuisine, though
it can also be found in Cajun and Creole cuisines of south Louisiana. It is often called simply the
black bean (frijol negro, zaragoza, poroto negro, caraota o habichuela negra in
Spanish, and feij�o preto in Portuguese), although this can cause confusion with other
black beans.
The black turtle bean has a dense, meaty texture, which makes it popular in vegetarian dishes, such
as the Mexican-American black bean burrito. It is a very popular bean in various regions of Brazill, and is used in the
national dish, feijoada. It is also a main ingredient of Moros y Cristianos in Cuba, is a must-have
in the typical gallo pinto of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is a fundamental part of pabell�n
criollo in Venezuela, and is served in almost all of Latin America, as well as many Hispanic
enclaves in the United States. In the Dominican Republic cuisine, it is also used for a variation of
the Moros y Cristianos simply called Moro de Habichuelas Negras. The black turtle bean is also
popular as a soup ingredient. In Cuba, black bean soup is a traditional dish, usually served with
white rice.
It is also common to keep the boiled water of these beans (which acquires a black coloring) and
consume it as a soup with other ingredients for seasoning (known as sopa negra, black soup),
as a broth (caldo de frijol, bean broth) or to season or color other dishes (aforementioned
gallo pinto, for example). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaseolus_vulgaris)
Black Turtle beans are a common ingredient in soups, stews,
sauces and in the popular burrito. They are said to be native to Mexico, perhaps the reason why they
are so common in Latin American dishes.
From a nutrition perspective, they contain folate as well as
being a good source of fibre for proper digestive function, iron (non-heme), phosphorus, complex
carbohydrates and some calcium. They have been shown to be a good source of natural
antioxidants.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, black
turtle beans have a warming thermal nature and are beneficial to the kidneys and builds
blood.
NOTE: Before use, all beans should be soaked in water
overnight or for at least ten hours. Make sure you cover the beans with a large volume of water
because they will swell up considerably. When ready to cook, discard the soaking water and briefly
rinse the beans under running water. This process is important as to reduce burping, flatulence and
abdominal discomfort.
Certified Organic: ACO
