Pink beans are a variety of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) with a smooth, dusty-pink skin that fades to brown when cooked. They are closely related to pinto beans and kidney beans but have a slightly smaller, rounder shape and a creamy, mild flavour.
Pink beans are widely used in Caribbean and Latin American cooking, particularly in Puerto Rican and Dominican cuisine, where they are a staple in rice-and-bean dishes and stews. They hold their shape reasonably well when cooked and absorb surrounding flavours readily.
While not as common in Australian supermarkets as kidney or cannellini beans, pink beans can be found in specialty grocers and are increasingly available in dried and canned form.
How it's produced
Pink beans are farmed like other common beans. Plants are sown after the last frost in well-drained soil and grow as either bush or climbing varieties. The pods are left on the plant until they dry out, then harvested mechanically or by hand.
After harvest, the beans are threshed to separate them from the pods, cleaned, and dried further for storage. Most commercial pink beans are grown in the Americas, particularly in the United States, Central America, and the Caribbean.
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