Beans

• Dark Red Kidney Beans
• Light Red Kidney Beans
• Small Red Beans
• Pinto Beans
• Black Beans
• Navy Beans

Common beans, called dry beans in western North America and field beans in eastern North America, are an ancient crop native to South and Central America. Today, dry bean production and trade volumes exceed that of any other pulse crop grown in the world. It is grown in subtropical or temperate areas throughout the world, and during the cool dry season in tropical areas.

Dry beans belong to the group that includes vegetable, snap, or green beans. The word "dry" refers to the dry edible seeds that are the commercial end product. There are several classes of dry beans including: pinto, great northern, navy, pea or white, small white, small red, pink, kidney, white marrow, flat small white, and yellow eye. The most common bean class in North America is the pinto class, which accounts for 40 percent of annual production along with 65 percent of the annual production in Alberta. Some 70 percent of the pinto beans produced in North America are consumed domestically.