Phaseolus Lunatus - Origin and Uses

Origin and Uses

Phaseolus lunatus is of Andean and Mesoamerican origin. Two separate domestication events are believed to have occurred. The first, taking place in the Andes around 2000 BC, produced a large-seeded variety (Lima type), while the second, taking place in Mesoamerica around AD 800, produced a small-seeded variety (Sieva type). By around 1300, cultivation had spread north of the Rio Grande, and in the 1500s, the plant began to be cultivated in the Old World.

The small-seeded wild form (Sieva type) is found distributed from Mexico to Argentina, generally below 1600 metres above sea level, while the large-seeded wild form (Lima type) is found distributed in the north of Peru, between 320 and 2030 metres above sea level.

The Moche Culture (1-800 AD) cultivated all of the lima beans and often depicted them in their art. During the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, lima beans were exported to the rest of the Americas and Europe, and since the boxes of such goods had their place of origin labeled "Lima - Peru", the beans got named as such.

The term "butter bean" is widely utilised for a large, flat and yellow/white variety of lima bean (P. lunatus var. macrocarpus, or P. limensis).

In the Southern United States the Sieva type are traditionally called butter beans, also otherwise known as the Dixie or Henderson type. In that area, lima beans and butter beans are seen as two distinct types of beans.

In the United Kingdom, "butter beans" refers to either dried beans which can be purchased to re-hydrate, or the canned variety which are ready to use. In culinary use, lima beans and butter beans are distinctly different, the former being small and green, the latter large and yellow. In areas where both are considered to be lima beans, the green variety may be labelled as "baby" (and less commonly "junior") limas.