IMBB#11 Fava Beans - a brief discussion & some medieval recipes

My first contribution to the Is My Blog Burning collaboration. And in keeping with the theme of ‘beans’, here’s a couple of recipes and some history about fava beans:

 

Fava beans (or broad beans as they are also commonly known) were a staple of the average medieval peasant’s diet. Eaten fresh while young, they were also dried and used throughout the rest of the year; whole in pottages and broths, or ground and used as a flour. They were considered a coarse foodstuff, healthy and good for the lower classes to consume, but not something to be eaten by noblemen, who by their very nature needed more refined and delicate foods to sustain them. One medieval bishop claimed he “had a solemn duty to his flock to avoid that plebeian, useful filler, the dried bean; ‘By oft use thereof the wits are dulled. . .’” [1]  (I rather wish I could have used that excuse when faced with various dried legumes as a child!).

Aside from causing stupidity, fava beans were also attributed with lying heavy in the stomach, being difficult to digest, and causing nightmares and flatulence [2]. Their good points were their ability to create ‘spongy’ flesh (muscle), and use in relieving colic, dysentry and coughs. On a more vanity-driven note, flour made from the dried beans was used as a cleansing and anti-ageing facial scrub.

In terms of humoral theory (the prevalent medieval dietary belief), fava beans were considered mildly cold and dry. This is interesting, as other beans as well as many vegetables that sprang from the earth (asparagus, celery, onions, parsnips, swedes/rutabega, turnips) were considered hot and moist in humor. But fava beans have always held a special place in Western dietary theory, leading back to the philosopher Pythagoras’s dietary beliefs and even further, to the Egyptian priesthood’s traditions, from whom he had learnt.

While Pythagoras (c.580 - c.500 BC) might nowadays be associated with mathematical theorems we forgot as soon as we left school, in ancient and medieval times he was famous not just for his scientific discoveries but his philosophical views as well. One of the more enigmatic of which was his edict "Avoid fava beans". Unfortunately his reasoning for this decree is no longer known (none of his writings concerning that are extant) and so several theories have been posited down the ages.

Aristotle claimed Pythagoras’ reasons for abhorrence of the fava were that the bean resembled testicles or the gates of hell [3], their smell is rather like dung or blood (the smell of food was considered of great importance healthwise in the ancient world), and because they were used for casting lots in politics - an activity to be greatly avoided.

Other theories proffered for his forbidding fava beens have been because they resemble female genitals, they cause flatulence, or that their stems were considered a direct route and line of communication to the Underworld and they were a divinely-touched plant. Pliny claimed Pythagoras believed the souls of the dead dwelt in fava beans (this relating to his belief in metempsychosis, the passing of the soul at death into another body - either human or animal ), thus making their eating a form of cannibalism.

Another more entirely practical reason for the ban and one that exists even today, may have been favism. Upon eating fava beans, a small number of people, mostly males, develop a form of hemolytic anemia that is fatal to about one in twelve cases. This is the result of a deficiency in a particular blood enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and is an inherited condition, usually found in those of Mediterranean or African descent. During World War II, D6PD deficiency was discovered to be a genetic defence against malaria, and that fava beans help fight malaria in the same way - by reducing the oxygen in the blood. In antiquity and medieval times however, it would have appeared that the fava bean was a dangerous food, rather than that people themselves had an inherent problem with it.

Fava beans aren’t often found in medieval cookbooks as a purely vegetarian recipe; those including meat are the norm. Recipes (or 'receipts') were also more a collection of notes; a reminder to the cook as to which ingredients were to be included, and what order the cooking techniques were to be performed in. None of our meticulous modern-day measurements there!

Below is my favourite medieval fava bean recipe; simple, delicious and as Odile Redon proposes, redolent of spring. Included are the original Italian, the translation and my redaction [4] of the recipe. Abstaining (with the greatest of difficulty) from Chianti jokes, it goes delightfully with a light red or fresh white wine.

Following this is a purely vegetarian recipe which makes a particularly excellent use of dried fava beans. From experience, I can tell you it goes beautifully as a side dish with pork roast and crackling.

Fresh Fava Bean Broth with Herbs recipe
Puree of Dried Young Fava Beans with Onions, Apples and Sage recipe
Notes & Bibliography

Fresh Fava Bean Broth with Herbs recipe
Maestro Martino, Libro de arte coquinaria, Rome C.15th.  recipe #149
Original text and translation from “The Medieval Kitchen” by Odile Redon et al. The redaction is my own.

Original text:
Fave fresche con brodo de carne. Piglia le fave et mondale con l’acqua calda come se fanno le amandole, et poi le mitti a bollire in bon brodo. Et quando ti pareno cotte mette con esse un pocho di petrosillo et menta battuta facendogli bollire etiandio de bona carne salata. Et questa menestra volle essere un pocho verde che pare più bella. Et similmente poi fare i peselli, et ogni altro leghume frescho, ma nota che non veleno essare mondati con l’acqua calda como le fave, ma lasciali pur cosi con quella sua scorza sottile. 

Translation:
Fresh Fava Beans with Herbs. Take the fava beans and skin them with hot water, as is done for almonds, then put them to boil in good broth. And when they seem cooked, add to them a little parsley and chopped mint, and boil them with some good salted meat. And this menestra should be slightly green to look nicest. And you should do the same with peas and any other fresh vegetable, but note that they should not be skinned with hot water like fava beans; rather, leave them as they are, with their thin skins.

Modern Redaction:
[for two]
300 ml Vegetable or Chicken Broth
1 kg [2 lb] Fresh Fava Beans
Handful of chopped parsley
Handful of chopped mint
200 gm Pancetta or Bacon
Salt (optional)

1. Blanch the fava beans for a minute or so in boiling water, until their colour brightens.
2. Drain, rinse in cold water and remove the beans from the pods.
3. Put them in a pan with the broth and lightly simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the chopped herbs and diced meat. On fast days and during Lent, this would have been exchanged for fish. Vegetarians can do the same.
5. Simmer until the beans are tender.
6. Taste, and if necessary, add salt.
7. Serve.

Puree of Dried Young Fava Beans with Onions, Apples and Sage
Taillevent, Le Viander de Guilluame Tirel dit Taillevent France, C.15th.  recipe #206
The original text, translation, and redaction are all courtesy of “The Medieval Kitchen” by Odile Redon et al.   

Translation:
Potage of young fava beans. Put your skinned, well-cleaned and washed fava beans on the fire, and when they begin to boil remove the water from the pot, and replace it with cool water to cover the beans by two fingerbreadths; add salt to your taste, and boil your dish, tightly covered, at a distance from the flame, because of the smoke, until that dish is thoroughly cooked and forms a sort of paste. Then put it into a mortar,and stir and mix it well and make it homogeneous; then return it to the pot and heat it. And when you wish to dress your platters or plates, serve your food with the following preparation: First cook thinly sliced onions in hot oil, add sage, and figs or apples cut into little pieces. And put this preparation, boiling hot, into the platters or plates already containing the fava beans, and bring it to the table; some like to sprinkle spices over the top.

Modern Redaction:
[for four]
1 lb/500 gm very small dried fava beans
1 lb/500 gm tart apples
4 medium onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 or 5 leaves fresh sage

A day in advance, wash the beans and leave them to soak in cool water; change the water once or twice if possible. The next day, drain the beans and put them in a pot or casserole and add cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and drain. Return to the pot and cover with plenty of unsalted boiling water. Cook until the beans are very tender. Drain, and put through a food mill or puree in a food processor until smooth; add salt to taste.
Peel the onions and slice thm into rounds. Peel and core the apples, and cut them into thin slices. Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the onions over low heat. When they are half done, add the apples and the sage and continue to cook over low heat until the apples have fallen apart, 15 to 20 minutes or so.
When ready to serve, reheat the bean puree. Turn it onto a serving platter, and spoon the onion-apple mixture into the center.

Illustration:
"Fava beans" from The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti  Italy, C.14th, held in the Oesterreichische Nationalbibliothek.

Notes:
1.  Henish, B.A. "Fast and Feast: Food in Medieval Society" p.103, quoting from Bartholomaeus Anglicus, Medieval Lore
2.  Several writers - Dioscorides, Galen, Anthimus, Elbochasim de baldach (Ibn Botlan) all mention fava beans specifically in various of these terms.
3.  The English translation I read employed the phrase "gates of hell". This was often used in medieval times in reference to women, so the actual Greek term may also refer to female genitals rather than the gates to Asphodel. Unfortunately, I am somewhat at the mercy of English translators and their modesty, as I have no Greek.
4.  Recreation. Term commonly used by historical-recreation cooks.

Links:
The Long History of the Mysterious Fava Bean -  By Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times. 

Bibliography:

ANTHIMUS De observatione ciborum - On The Observance of Food  GRANT, Mark (transl.) Prospect Books 1997
GALEN On Food and Diet  GRANT, Mark (transl.)  Routledge  October 15, 2000; ISBN: 0415232333
LE MENAGIER Le Menagier de Paris HINSON, Janet (transl.) with PICHON, Jerome (1846 transl.) (orig France C.15) Online © Janet Hinson 
REDON, Odile et al.  The Medieval Kitchen  University of Chicago Press, 1998.
SPENCER, Colin The Heretic's Feast  University Press of New England, Hanover & London, 1993.
SPENCER, Judith (trans.) The Four Seasons of the House of Cerruti  "Tacuinum Sanitatis in Medicina" Elbochasim de baldach (Ibn Botlan)
SCULLY, Terence The Art of Cookery in the Middle Ages   August 1997 Boydell & Brewer; ISBN: 0851154301
TANNAHILL, Reay  Food in History  Penguin Books,  1973, 1988.

Comments

[jen]

This is a fantastic first entry into IMBB! Great post!

[Christina]

Thank you!

[Carolyn]

WOW! What great information, documentation and great sounding recipe--and, especially, what a great first entry to IMBB!

[Cathy]

Christina - I am blown away! What a wonderful post! I had no idea beans were such a fascinating topic! The recipes sound really great too. You did a tremendous job - thanks so much for participating in IMBB 11!

[Christina]

Carolyn - thanks! I thought I should finally do something on medieval food.

Cathy - thank you for the lovely compliments and also for all your hard work. I'm having a great time going through all the contributions.

[Barbara]

Great entry!

I am of good peasant stock myself, so I love beans of most sorts. Though, I have to admit that when I was in culinary school the other students and I developed a resentful relationship with fava beans.

We seldom had them fresh and when we had them dried, we had to soak and peel the skin from them, which is tedious, especially when you are talking about enough beans for forty people. In addition, we usually only had about two hours to prepare and cook the things--and no pressure cookers, so they were never done properly.

One friend of mine, a young Chinese man from Singapore, seemed to always be assigned to cook the fava beans. He began to feel as if he was cursed by them, and that he must have had some sort of bad karma that caused the fava beans to be given into his charge. He would mutter imprecations at them as he worked with them, and when the dish was done, and never had the time to properly cooked, he always felt as if it made him look like a terrible cook....

Poor guy.

[Christina]

Thanks.
I imagine cooking almost anything in bulk repetitively would end up with you disliking it - though that does seem rather OTT!

[Mr. Beer Belly]

Your font is too small for my aging eyes!