Rice and beans, orbeans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world where thestaple foods ofrice andbeans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several importantnutrients and manycalories, and both foods are widely available. The beans are usually seasoned, while the rice may be plain or seasoned. If the beans do not top the rice, the two components may be mixed together, separated on the plate, or served separately.
The dish usually consists ofwhite orbrown rice accompanied by cookedbrown,red orblack drybeans (typicallyPhaseolus vulgaris orVigna unguiculata) andseasoned in various ways. This dish is also commonly served with sides of stewed chicken,pork,beef,potato salad,boiled potatoes, and many other sides from many different cultures. In many areas, beans and rice are often served side by side rather than combined. Either way, they may be considered a meal, frequently with a topping ofmeat orchicken. Meat or other ingredients are sometimes placed atop beans and rice or, less frequently, mixed into it.
Genetic analyses of the common beanPhaseolus shows that it originated in Mesoamerica, and subsequently spread southward, along withmaize andsquash, traditional companion crops.[1]Asian rice was introduced to Latin America during the colonial era by the Spanish and the Portuguese. However, it has recently been discovered that the indigenous peoples of the Amazon had already cultivated a distant relative of Asian rice of the same genusOryza some 4,000 years ago,[2] and were growing it alongside maize and squash, traditional companion crops of beans, which were also by that time present in South America. Some recent scholarship suggests thatenslaved Africans may also have played an active role in the establishment of rice in theNew World.[3][4] It is also one of the most common foods in some Spanish-speaking countries.
Beans and rice are both nutritious ingredients. Rice is rich instarch, making it a good source of energy. Rice also hasiron and someprotein. Beans also containiron and a greater amount of protein in comparison to rice. Together they make up acomplete protein, which provides large quantities of each of theamino acids the body cannot produce by itself.[5] Theiramino acid profiles complement each other whencombined, meaning that such dishes were acknowledged as beneficial protein invegetarian terms.
In someLatin American states and countries, beans and rice are commonly eaten as everyday lunch, along with a different variety of meats and vegetables. It is also common to prepare dinner using the lunch leftovers. Beans and rice are especially popular in Brazil, which is the world's third largest producer of dry beans[6] and the largest consumer of rice in theAmericas.[7]
Worldwide, there are many dishes with a base of beans and rice, which vary in their cooking and additional ingredients. Variations exist regionally, as cultures shape the dishes to their own preferences. In countries near or in the Caribbean, these dishes are simply known as "rice and beans", in which the dish is cooked in coconut milk.[clarification needed] The following is a list of variations:
Brazil:Arroz com feijão orfeijoada, a traditional dish made with black beans and pork meat, served with rice.
Moros y cristianos: also known as justmoros, it is made with black beans. If made with red beans, it would be consideredcongris.
Congris: made with red beans, the beans are cooked first with onion, green chili, garlic, tomato, bay leaf, touch of cumin and oregano, salt, and dry wine; before they soften completely, the raw rice is added, letting them cook together, until they consume the broth and the rice is dry and loose. The beans are also prepared in their broth with the rice separate.
Guatemala:Casado: regionally known asgallo pinto and rice and beans. On the Caribbean coast and parts of eastern Guatemala (Izabal) it is known as rice and beans and it includes coconut milk.
Honduras:Casamiento; on the Caribbean coast it is known as rice and beans and it includes coconut milk and chilli flakes
Hungary:Rakott zöldbab Layers of cooked rice, cooked green beans and cooked minced meat are put on one another, then topped with sour cream the whole is baked in an oven for some time.
Arroz con habichuelas: White rice with stew beans. The beans are typically stewed with potatoes, squash, pork, tomato sauce,sofrito,sazon, olives, and capers.
Arroz mamposteao: Fried rice and beans. Day-old rice and stewed beans are fried together. Other ingredients can be added such as eggs, chicken, shrimp, cabbage, corn, soy sauce, or fish sauce. It is garnished with gratedqueso blanco and avocado.
Suriname:Bruine bonen met rijst, one-pot dish with mixed meats and kidney beans, served with rice.
Turkey: national dish,kuru fasulye ve pilav dried beans with pilaf
Venezuela: These dishes may include fried plantains called "tajadas" as it is commonly found in many Venezuelan dishes:
Pabellón criollo: Made with rice, beans or refried black beans and well-seasoned shredded beef. It is then surrounded by slices of ripe fried plantain. The plantains give the namePabellón con barandas.
Arroz con caraotas: When pabellón criollo omits the fried plantains, it has a different name. It is colloquially known as "poor man's lunch" since it is more common in low-income families. Fried eggs can also be included.
Palo a pique llanero: Made with rice, brown beans and well-seasoned shredded beef, chicken and pork. It is surrounded by slices of ripe plantain and pieces of potatoes. Some areas likeBarinas,Apure orBolivar add green plantains.
Liberia: In most parts of West Africa, beans are cooked separately from rice. Kidney beans can be eaten as a soup on top of rice during special occasions.
Rice andbeans is referred to asarroz y habas,arroz con habichuelas,arroz con frijoles,gallo pinto,recalentao or similar inSpanish;arroz e feijão,arroz com feijão orfeijão com arroz inPortuguese;sos pwa inHaitian Creole; andavas kon arroz oravikas kon arroz inJudaeo-Spanish.
^Carney, Judith A. (2001-04-30).Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas. Cambridge, Mass. London: Harvard University Press.ISBN978-0-674-00452-8.
