Pinto bean

For the squirrel, see Pinto Bean (squirrel).

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,^[3][4] and is most often eaten whole (sometimes in broth), or mashed and then refried. Prepared either way, it is a common filling for burritos, tostadas, or tacos in Mexican cuisine,^[5] also as a side or as part of an entrée served with a side tortilla or sopaipilla in New Mexican cuisine.^[6]

Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt

Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy	598 kJ (143 kcal)
Carbohydrates	26.22
Sugars	0.34
Dietary fiber	9.0
Fat	0.65
Saturated	0.109
Monounsaturated	0.106
Polyunsaturated	0.188
Protein	9.01
Vitamins and minerals 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,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2]

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),^[7] 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".^[8] The coloration of pinto beans is similar to that of pinto horses.

Use

The dried pinto bean is the bean commonly used reconstituted or canned in many dishes, especially refried beans. It is popular in chili con carne, although kidney beans, black beans, and many others may be used in other locales.

Pinto beans are often found in Brazilian cuisine. Legumes, mainly the common bean, are a staple food everywhere in the country, cultivated since 3000 BC, along with starch-rich foods, such as rice, manioc, pasta, and other wheat-based products, polenta and other corn-based products, potatoes and yams. Pinto beans are also a very important ingredient in Spanish cuisine and Mexican cuisine.

In Spanish cuisine pinto beans are mostly used in a dish named after them.

In the Southern United States, pinto beans were once a staple, especially during the winter months. Some organizations and churches in rural areas still sponsor "pinto bean suppers" for social gatherings and fund raisers.

Varieties

Alubia pinta alavesa, a red pinto bean variety developed in Añana, Spain

Pinto bean varieties include: 'Burke', 'Hidatsa', and 'Othello'.

The alubia pinta alavesa, or the "Alavese pinto bean", a red variety of the pinto bean, originated in Añana,^[9] a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country of northern Spain. In October, the Feria de la alubia pinta alavesa (Alavese pinto bean fair) is celebrated in Pobes.^[10]

Cooking

Pinto beans are often soaked, which greatly shortens cooking time. If unsoaked, they are frequently boiled rapidly for 10 minutes. They will then generally take two to three hours to cook on a stove to soften. In a pressure cooker they will cook very rapidly, perhaps 3 minutes if soaked, and 20-45 minutes if unsoaked. Cooking times vary considerably however and may depend on the source of the bean, hardness of the cooking water and many other factors.

Nutrition

A nutrient-dense legume, the pinto bean contains many essential nutrients. It is a good source of protein, phosphorus and manganese, and very high in dietary fiber and folate.^[11]

Rice and pinto beans served with cornbread or maize tortillas are often a staple meal where meat is unavailable. This combination contains the essential amino acids necessary for humans in adequate amounts:^[12] maize complements beans' relative scarcity of methionine and cystine and beans complement maize's relative scarcity of lysine and tryptophan.^[13]

Studies have indicated pinto beans can lower the levels of both HDL and LDL cholesterol.^[14][15] Pinto beans have also been shown to contain the phytoestrogen coumestrol, which has a variety of possible health effects.^[16]

See also

• Gallo pinto
• Bolita bean

References

1. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.
3. "Maize 2003 CGC Meeting". Ars-grin.gov. Archived from the original on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
4. "The upstanding, outstanding pinto bean | Crop Science Society of America".
5. Alley, L.; Pool, J.O. (2011). The Gourmet Toaster Oven: Simple and Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook [A Cookbook]. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-60774-164-0. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
6. "NMSU: Using Pinto Beans". College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences | New Mexico State University. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
7. Quero, João (2016-06-24). "Por que feijão se chama carioca se não é o mais consumido no RJ?". G1 - Agronegócios (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2019-08-07.
8. "pinto". WordReference.com Spanish-English Dictionary. Retrieved 2012-10-27.
9. Recetas para acordarse de sabores perdidos Archived 2005-10-29 at the Wayback Machine: "Añana. Es el origen de la alubia pinta alavesa y, como tal, esta legumbre pesa en su cocina. Ya sea en cocido, crema o sopa. El queso Idiazábal o el conejo son otros de sus manjares." (Spanish)
10. Algunas de las ferias tradicionales en Euskadi: "La Feria de la alubia pinta alavesa, que se celebra en octubre en la localidad de Pobes." (Spanish)
11. "Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, with salt". Nutrition Facts. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
12. Essential Amino Acids. phy-astr.gsu.edu: "Tillery points out that a number of popular ethnic foods involve such a combination, so that in a single dish, one might hope to get the ten essential amino acids. Mexican [maize] and beans, Japanese rice and soybeans, and Cajun red beans and rice are examples of such fortuitous combinations."
13. Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations (1992). "Chapter 8 - Improvement of maize diets". Maize in human nutrition.
14. Finley, J. W.; Burrell, J. B.; Reeves, P. G. (November 2007). "Pinto bean consumption changes SCFA profiles in fecal fermentations, bacterial populations of the lower bowel, and lipid profiles in blood of humans". J. Nutr. 137 (11): 2391–8. doi:10.1093/jn/137.11.2391. PMID 17951475.
15. "Pinto Bean Consumption Reduces Biomarkers for Heart Disease Risk". Jacn.org. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
16. Bhagwat, Seema; Haytowitz, David; Holden, Joanne (September 2008). USDA Database for the Isoflavone Content of Selected Foods (PDF) (Release 2.0 ed.). Beltsville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 10 March 2015.

External links

• Pinto Bean at the Wikibooks Cookbook subproject