**Uses and Culinary Applications**:
– Pinto beans are commonly used in dishes like refried beans, chili con carne, and as a staple in Brazilian, Spanish, Mexican, and Southern U.S. cuisines.
– They are a key ingredient in Spanish dishes and are featured in traditional pinto bean suppers at social gatherings.
– Culinary uses include soups, stews, salads, side dishes, bean dips, and veggie burgers.
**Varieties and Types**:
– Pinto bean varieties include Burke, Hidatsa, Othello, and the red Alubia pinta alavesa from Spain.
– Other types of beans similar to pinto beans are black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, and garbanzo beans.
**Cooking and Nutritional Information**:
– Pinto beans are often soaked to reduce cooking time, taking 2-3 hours unsoaked or 3 minutes in a pressure cooker if soaked.
– They are rich in protein, phosphorus, manganese, dietary fiber, and folate.
– Pinto beans, when combined with rice, provide essential amino acids and have shown to lower cholesterol levels and contain phytoestrogen coumestrol with potential health benefits.
**Health Benefits**:
– Pinto beans aid in weight management, reduce the risk of heart disease, regulate blood sugar levels, improve digestive health, and boost energy levels.
– They are a good source of fiber, low in fat, and help lower cholesterol levels.
**Growing Conditions**:
– Pinto beans thrive in warm climates with well-drained soil, full sun exposure, and regular watering.
– Climbing varieties of pinto beans may require support for optimal growth.
The pinto bean (/ˈpɪntoʊ/) is a variety of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). In Spanish they are called frijoles pintos. It is the most popular bean by crop production in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, and is most often eaten whole (sometimes in broth), or mashed and then refried. Either way, it is a common filling for burritos, tostadas, or tacos in Mexican cuisine, also as a side or as part of an entrée served with a side tortilla or sopaipilla in New Mexican cuisine.
 | |
| Nutritional value per 100 g | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 598 kJ (143 kcal) |
26.22 | |
| Sugars | 0.34 |
| Dietary fiber | 9.0 |
0.65 | |
| Saturated | 0.109 |
| Monounsaturated | 0.106 |
| Polyunsaturated | 0.188 |
9.01 | |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 0% 0 μg |
| Vitamin A | 0 IU |
| Thiamine (B1) | 16% 0.193 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 5% 0.062 mg |
| Niacin (B3) | 2% 0.318 mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 13% 0.229 mg |
| Folate (B9) | 43% 172 μg |
| Vitamin C | 1% 0.8 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0% 0 μg |
| Vitamin D | 0% 0 IU |
| Vitamin E | 6% 0.94 mg |
| Vitamin K | 3% 3.5 μg |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 4% 46 mg |
| Iron | 12% 2.09 mg |
| Magnesium | 12% 50 mg |
| Manganese | 20% 0.453 mg |
| Phosphorus | 12% 147 mg |
| Potassium | 15% 436 mg |
| Zinc | 9% 0.98 mg |
| Other constituents | Quantity |
| Water | 62.95 g |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies. | |
In South America, it is known as the poroto frutilla, literally "strawberry bean". In Portuguese, the Brazilian name is feijão carioca (literally "carioca bean"; contrary to popular belief, the beans were not named after Rio de Janeiro, but after a pig breed that has the same color as the legume), which differs from the name in Portugal: feijão catarino. Additionally, the young immature pods may be harvested and cooked as green pinto beans. There are a number of different varieties of pinto bean, notably some originating from Northern Spain, where an annual fair is dedicated to the bean.
In many languages, "pinto" means "colored" or "painted", as derived from the Late Latin pinctus and Classical Latin pictus. In Spanish, it means "painted", "dappled", or "spotted". The coloration of pinto beans is similar to that of pinto horses.