Check your pulses: a cut-out-and-keep guide If you can’t get your fi rst choice, substitute one of its immediate neighbours

Native to . . . Kitchen usage Culinary friends Fascinating fact

Split Western Asia, northern Europe, Dhal, tarka (with garlic) Spices, stocks, pig bits. When cooked, they turn the YellowY & green 17th-century England. or chana (with chickpeas). Very nice with crispy most beautiful muted colour -and-ham soup if you don’t fried shallots on top. with a sublime creamy texture. have marrowfat peas.

Lentils Another Indian favourite, It’s really all about the quick Coconut milk, spices, greens Can be treated like rice and Red as well as the whole of soup — half an hour from start (such as spinach or chard), cooked like risotto, but beware North Africa. to fi nish. And lovely soft dhals. onions and butter. because nothing happens . . . and suddenly they’re mush.

Lentils The world over, but the Curries, hippy bakes, These love a heavy oil such as The cooking water is very Brown/green lentil of choice around zuppa di lenticchie, drizzled strong extra virgin or pumpkin. nutritious. Think twice before India and Italy. over warm salads and Strong herby things too, pouring it away as it makes a super with bollito misto. such as salsa verde. great veg stock/soup base.

Lentils France mainly, but since Anywhere you want your lentil Particularlly good with fi sh The most beautiful of the Puy the 90s all over the to hold its shape. With cod and and off al (not together). Dijon. lentil family, with their western world. salsa verde — a classic. Porky bits. All the herbs. green-speckled skin . . . and don’t they just know it?

Haricot Ubiquitous in the western Predominantly and Meat (pork, duck), tomatoes, Also called navy beans in the world. . vinegars. US.

Flageolet France, and increasingly in Classically with lamb, and Cream, mint and cider These are a bit more the US. to meet your other springier too if in Normandy. discreet and elegant, bean needs. Pigs, as well. like French women.

Cannellini Italy, specifi cally Tuscany, Makes the best soups, as Garlic, particularly when They take 80 days to grow. and the River Café. the texture goes all creamy toasted to golden. Flat-leaf The bean of early summer. when par-blitzed. Nice parsley, chicken stock. Extra pureed, and bakes well too. virgin olive oil.

Borlotti Italy, especially early autumn Sits very well in soups, Extra virgin, garlic, lemon, When fresh, the most beautiful when you get the beautiful whether brothy brodo or fl at-leaf parsley — all the usual bean on the planet: off -white fresh ones. thick . Italians’ faves and fl avours. with pink paint splatters. Very special chalky texture.

Pinto Central and South America. . Day-long, All the chillies and spices Special chalky texture, like one-pot braises. associated with their region. their Euro cousins borlotti. Thought to have originated in the Andes.

Red kidney Central and South America, Chilli con carne, or chilli A meatiness to stand up to the Kidney beans have a toxin in West Indies. sit carne for that matter. beans. Latin and Caribbean them, so change the water . spices. Chillies and tomatoes. once they have come to a boil and don’t try to sprout them.

Black beans All about the Spanish and the Headed for all the Cumin, lard, tomatoes, pig. Aka black turtle beans; still big Latins. slow-cooks (like in Portugal (but not so much with its multiple pork in Spain), as well as former presence). Soup. colonies such as Brazil.

Black-eyed China, Africa. Southern states Asian stir-fries. With Cajun Things with zing: chilli ginger, Nigeria is the biggest producer; beans of the US — think soul food. grills and gumbos. Moi moi — spring onions; crisp greens. also known as black-eyed peas. delicious Nigerian dumplings. Rice and spice. Go inky-pinky-purple when cooked.

Chickpeas Tout le Med since time eternal. by the truckload. Olive oil, lemon, chorizo, Also known as garbanzo — so In brothy/brodo type dishes. shellfi sh, especially mussels. much fun to say. . Herbs, peppers, tomatoes and garlic.

Butter beans They really like big beans in Because they’re so rich and Braised (with tomatoes), In the Southern states the Greece and all round the Med. fat they hold up very well on smoked or spiced pork, like fresh ones are called Lima their own, ie meat-free. chorizo. Tripe too if you’re beans, and are served with Spanish. collard greens. Yum.