Medames fava bean plate is the most important plate in breakfast in many countries and it’s originally one of the popular foods all over the world. It’s consumed in Egypt, Levant, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia, and even eaten in many other countries and becomes one of the most important foods for all classes and groups of people around the world.
Medames fava bean becomes sold in canned fashion and was able to reach many countries all over the world, also many people could introduce it in many receipts and consumed in any meal in the morning or the evening for those who follow a diet and vegetarians. To learn more about the history of bean cultivation and its origin and from where it comes and how it spreads around the world, please follow with us this article to the end.

Origin Of The Word “Bean”

Bean (in Arabic Foul) is an ancient Egyptian word, and its plant existed in Egypt in the past.
Ancient Egyptians used beans as feed for animals, and there were cultivating it and mentioning it in papyrus and on the temple walls. The bean cultivation was useful for soil, especially after the season of the wheat crop.
After Hexose’s occupation of Egypt, they suffered from poverty and hunger and became looking for food alternatives, so they chose beans.
Because beans contain protein, then it’s an excellent alternative for meat and poultry and it contains many benefits for the body and can have many additives.

Origin Of Word Medames

The origin of the word “Medames” is related to the method by which the bean is cooked, where Medames bean is cooked through burying it in fuel and ash and Medames is a Coptic word which means the buried or cooked underground.
The meaning of Medames bean in the ancient Egyptian language is “the buried bean” and the origin of the word was TEMES and was modified in Arabic to be DAMAS and then to MEDAMES.
For the cooking/stewing method in the past, the ancient Egyptians place beans in pots filled with water and these pots were placed in the oven’s ash until they’re well cooked and became Medames.
The public Egyptians were having Medames bean and were not eaten by the priests, because they tend not to eat much for focus, concentration, and study the religion.
There is another narration/myth for The Medames bean that originated back to a Greek man called Diemus who owned popular baths, and these were connected with a warehouse for burning garbage to heat water.
Decimus thought of using this heat resulting from tanks to cook the Medames bean by putting it in pots and then cooking it slowly in tanks. This news propagated among Egyptians, and they call it Medames bean in honor of Mr. Decimus the foreigner.

Origin Of Bean Pot/Jar

The beans’ pot is the pot in which the bean is cooked for long times under low temperature.
The bean cooking pot was developed, and its material was changed and varied from clay/pottery and became possible to cook it at home and the bean cooking pot was made from pottery, and then it’s developed and made from copper.
Pottery was very heavy and reacts with beans and causes problems and bean pot remained made from copper for 4 centuries and then developed and made from aluminum which still until today and also, it’s made nowadays from stainless steel.
With the spread of stainless-steel cooking pots, it becomes possible to cook beans at home easily and in a few hours.
Also, it becomes easy to buy canned beans without any effort from any market and prepare them in a few minutes.

History of Medames Fava Bean

The first bean seeds/grains were discovered in a tomb of the 12th family, and bean is considered as one of the most important types of legumes known by the Egyptians since the time of the first families/ruling or governing pharos families.
Bean seeds were also found in tombs in Sakkara and Kom Oshem from the Greek-Roman era, and these seeds are exhibited in the agricultural museum in Doki- Cairo.
For two hundred years and more bean was cultivated in Gerga, Asyut, Armenia, Fayoum, and its suburbs, and the bean was exported to the Arab peninsula and the Mediterranean Sea countries.
It’s also said that the region of Central Asia was the first origin of beans.
The Medames Fava Bean In Various Countries
Sudan is also consumed in Sudan and called the “People’s lover”, and many recipes are made from it and many additives are added to it such as tomato, onion, and spices.
A recipe called “Albosh’’ is made from Medames beans, and it is beans with pieces of bread like Fatteh. Also, sometimes dissolved yogurt is added to Medames fava bean and bean can be consumed using dipping method like the Egyptian method.
Medames fava bean is also consumed in the Levant as cooked grains but not smashed and chickpea or tomato can be added to Medames fava bean with olive oil.
Saudi Arabia knew Medames fava bean through the Egyptian pilgrims and was called the Hijazi bean and this kind of bean is distinguished by its special cooking method and additives.
Currently, Medames fava bean is known in many European countries and America and Turkey, and beans are also cultivated in Turkey at the widest range and exported to many countries around the world and the meal of Medames fava bean becomes famous and well-known food in Turkey.

The Beans Nutritional Value

Medames fava bean contains a high percentage of protein which is up to 28%, therefore it can be consumed as an alternative to meat where it’s considered economic food and alternative to animal protein.
Medames fava bean contains 58% of carbohydrates, in addition to many vitamins including vitamin B, and some minerals such as phosphorous, iron, copper, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Each serving of Medames fava bean contains 418 calories, 22 grams of fats, and 15 grams of protein. Also, bean contains nutritional fibers which help feel full and fats in the beans are unsaturated.

Benefits of Medames Fava Beans

• Bean maintains the level of blood sugar and it’s very important for diabetic patients and gives the feeling of satisfaction for long times.
• Medames fava bean helps fight tension and stress which affect the body.
• Medames fava bean is useful for the heart, where it helps increase the good cholesterol in the blood.
• Bean contains important nutrients to boost the body’s immunity.
• Medames fava bean helps in maintaining the wellbeing of the digestive system and fighting constipation.
• Medames fava bean works on reducing blood pressure in women during menopause.
• Medames fava bean helps prevention of cancer in the mouth, intestine, and breast.
• Medames fava bean is important for pregnant women, and it supplies the fetus with folic acid necessary for child development.
• Medames fava bean helps to improve brain functions.
• Taking beans with tomatoes and vegetables, onion, and olive oil makes it an integrated/whole meal that supplies the body with useful nutrients.

Times Of Beans Cultivation

The Medames bean is cultivated from September up to December.
Bean needs from3 to 3,5 months until ripe and harvest.

Types of Medames Beans

Normal bean: which is cultivated in Egypt, Sudan, and Maghreb countries.
Malta bean: is cultivated in the oriental Arab world and Egypt, Tunisia, and it exists in Syria the Levant, Aleppo, and Tal Kalakh beans. In Algeria, there is striated bean and Edsmar.
Cypress bean: cultivated in Syria and exists in two types, the non-irrigated and Zori.