The fava bean, Vicia faba, is also known as the broad bean, horse bean or field bean. While in the same family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), it is not particularly close to the more commonly known garden beans. It is frost-tolerant, and is used as a cover crop, for animal feed and for its edible seeds and young pods.

Some random facts:

• European references to beans from before 1492 are to this species.
• It was very important in Roman times, not only as food, but being used as vote counters.
• The modern name Fabian derives from this bean.
• The bean of "Jack and the Beanstalk" is probably this bean.

Fava beans are mentioned in a famous line from the movie Silence of the Lambs, when Hannibal Lecter says, "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

Fava beans are rich in tyramine, and thus should be avoided by those taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

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