What is the best way to eat broad beans?

What is the best way to eat broad beans? Not wanting to be sarcastic but my first thought is how long is a piece of string? Enjoyed by so many different cultures, also known as favas in Southern Europe there are dozens of methods of cooking these beauties.

They are very big in China, Ethiopia and Spain for example; that's pretty diverse I think you'll agree. I am certain all three would disagree markedly on what is the best way to eat broad beans.

So I am going to start off by telling you how not to eat broad beans.

Disclaimer

Broad beans have a very shallow rooting system. The plants themselves, the pods and seeds are easily water-stressed; they go soft, floppy and horrid at the drop of a hat.

That means you should eat them on the day they are harvested, preferably within a few hours and certainly by the next day. That means you will not commonly find them at the green grocer; rightly so, folk just don't like them when they are old.

And secondly only choose young pods. Once they get older the skin around the bean gets tough and unpleasant leading to a pernickety practice; removing each one individually.

This is done universally, known as skinning the bean and has a very negative effect. Legumes are generally very low GI but once favas have been processed this way the glycaemic index rises to 80; dangerously high for those who are insulin resistant and prediabetic.

• Stop compromising fava beans
  

In practice this may mean that you will have to learn how to plant broad beans if you need a source of the happy hormone.

As an aside I have been growing and eating broad beans for more than ten years since I learned they are the only natural source of L-dopa. I have a bad tremor in my right hand which is almost completely controlled by consuming these legumes.

Of tremors and things will be of interest to those who like me are afflicted by this worrying condition.

So I have experimented with many different ways to find out what is the best way to eat broad beans. They have a sweetish, mild flavour so we dicky them up with herbs and spices.

Broad bean goulash

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What is the best way to eat broad beans?

This version of what is the best way to eat broad beans is heavily influenced by research clearly revealing that those who regularly eat seven or more different coloured foods every day have a 33% lower all-cause of death; that's massive.

In this dish alone there are 10 different coloured foods; for us the amount is not terribly important so a teaspoon of freshly-ground turmeric would count. It's a medicine chest of goodness and prevention of disease.

Obviously you can add whatever is in season, your favourite vegetables and herbs. Notice the beans are young and in this instance were harvested no more than half an hour before cooking the meal.

For me there are no hard and fast rules with cooking; you personalise this outline of what is for us the best way to eat broad beans.

Fava beans with cream and thyme is another favourite of ours. It's our belief that those enjoying as many vegetables and fibre as this need not be anxious about cream and butter. My cholesterol levels are way below the cutoff point of 5.1.

You could simply name the this goulash broad beans on toast.

Turmeric

Freshly-ground turmeric is an important ingredient in our broad bean goulash^[1]. It contains over 200 bioactive ingredients; chiefly investigated is curcumin. It has had a prominent role in healing for thousands of years.

• Does turmeric help with inflammation
  

Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease is the fastest growing neurodegenerative condition in the world; in leaps and bounds at a frightening speed. There are several known causes, in the main various ecocides used in agriculture and organic industrial solvents. These substances destroy a nucleus in the brain that produces dopamine.

So what are the risk factors of Parkinson's Disease? What should we be avoiding?

Broad beans are the only food that contains pharmaceutical amounts of L-dopa; for those with Parkinson's Disease they have to eat them daily as a much better alternative to the medicine with none of the on and off periods. For me it completely controls the very annoying tremor in my hand.

Constipation is the first sign to appear so stomach pain and Parkinson's Disease go hand in glove. Dopamine is the precursor of the catacholamines that stimulate bowel contractions.

Broad beans have also been shown but only in white rats to prevent the onset of the disease. So it makes a lot of sense for all of us to consume them regularly; certainly for those exposed to solvents as in dry-cleaning and those involved in fine art.

Eggs Parkinson's Disease makes a wonderful supper.

It's simply a Eggs Hilton with the addition of the broad beans; also known as favas remember.

As you can see what foods help prevent Parkinson's Disease from starting in the first place and secondly to slow the progression is for me a fascination.

Dried broad beans

Personally I'm less fond of dried beans but recently after reading about the virtues of sprouting we did some experimenting. I am strongly of the opinion that we should look upon food as medicine and if it is good for us, whether it tickles our fancy or not is of lesser importance.

Sprouting the beans softens them and increases the L-dopa content by more than 20 times; when we run out of frozen I will gladly enjoy them this way.

Yes you can eat sprouted broad beans.

Tabbouleh with broad beans instead of chickpeas is another joy.

The broad bean is of course only one of many from this fascinating group of plants; without them life on earth would be well nigh impossible. They are the chief way in which nature captures nitrogen from the  atmosphere making it possible for legumes to synthesise amino acids for our protein.

If you are interested in nutrition and food then knowing what are legumes would be very relevant to you.

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