What are YardLong Beans?
Yardlong beans are legumes from the Fabaceae family of plants. It is acknowledged to have originated in the southern region of China. They are referred to as Vigna unguiculata, Sub. Sesquipedalis in the scientific community. There are a few other names for these beans, including Chinese snake beans, asparagus beans, and string beans.
An annual plant, yardlong beans are grown for the length of their pods and the flavor of their seeds. They have a rapid growth rate in the warmer temperature regions of Southeast Asia.
Farmers harvest the pods just before reaching full maturity so that they may be used as a vegetable. For culinary reasons, the entire plant is utilized, with the leaves prepared as vegetables, the immature pods consumed fresh, and the seeds cooked and served as a pulse type.
Facts About YardLong Beans
The bean plant may grow to a height of two to four meters and has brilliant green trifoliolate leaves ranging from four to seven centimeters in width and twelve to fifteen centimeters in length. The plant produces blossoms ranging in color from light purple to yellow or white. With time, these flowers transform into overhanging pods measuring anywhere from 30 to 100 centimeters in length.
The exterior of these pods can be smooth or wrinkled. You’ll find anywhere from 20-25 cylinder-shaped seeds that can be any color from brown to red, white, black, striped, or dappled. Beans are typically harvested somewhere between the middle and end of summer by the farmers.
Health Benefits of YardLong Beans
Reduces the Possibility of Gout
Because of their high vitamin C content, Yardlong beans reduce the likelihood of developing gout. This disorder causes excruciating pain in the big toe. It is brought on by an excess of uric acid, which manifests as crystals in the affected joints. According to the study, participants who consumed between 1000 and 1499 milligrams of vitamin C daily had a 30-32 percent lower risk of developing gout.
Prevents Diabetes
Nearly every variety of vegetables, including long beans, is capable of regulating sugar levels in the blood and thwarting the development of diabetes. In addition, long beans have a low calorie and sugar content, making yardlong beans a healthy choice for those like you who have issues with your blood sugar levels.
Use it like this:
Every morning, take three to four pieces of yardlong beans, grind and mix them with a little water, and drink the mixture consistently. You may always compensate for the fragrance by adding tomatoes or fruit if you cannot stand it.
Healthy Pregnancy
Consuming a sufficient quantity of foods high in folate before, during, and after pregnancy can help lessen the chance of neural tube abnormalities such as anencephaly and spina bifida. Folate insufficiency is the cause of birth deformities such as malformed limbs and hearts. Folate deficiency also causes neural tube problems.
Folate is a crucial nutrient required for the duplication of DNA and the healthy development of fetal cells. The consumption of foods high in folate lowers the risk of birth abnormalities affecting the neural tube by 26%.
An Ideal RBC Count
Anemia is brought on by a deficiency in red blood cells (RBC). Red blood cells, often known as RBCs, are the blood component responsible for transporting oxygen. The most typical cause of this deficiency is a lack of iron in the diet. Good news: long beans contain a good amount of iron. Research has shown that eating yardlong beans regularly will help avoid iron deficiency anemia and reverse its effects.
Antioxidant Source
Antioxidants provide the body with several benefits. The most essential is their ability to prevent and fight free radicals. Antioxidant levels can be significantly increased by consuming long beans. In addition to some of the more well-known antioxidant elements like vitamin C and beta-carotene, yardlong beans also include manganese, a mineral that plays a significant role in the antioxidant process.
Carotenoids found in green beans include lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin. Flavonoids found in green beans include quercetin, kaempferol, catechin, epicatechins, and procyanidins. All of these flavonoids have been shown to have antioxidant properties. Green beans contain a wide variety of carotenoids.
Sound Sleep
The deficiency of magnesium in the body is the root cause of sleep disturbances such as hyperactivity, anxiety, and restlessness. Magnesium is necessary for the GABA function, which helps calm the brain and makes relaxation easier to achieve. Yardlong beans offer a suitable quantity of magnesium-efficient treatment for sleep difficulties.
The Avoidance of Osteoporosis
Yardlong beans have a high vitamin K level, which is one component that can help prevent osteoporosis from developing in the body. Yardlong beans also contain a lot of calcium. Because of the high vitamin K content, eating this vegetable can fulfill more than 20 percent of the body’s daily requirement for vitamin K.
Maintains Normal Blood Pressure
Yardlong beans also include potassium, which is a mineral that is renowned for its ability to assist in maintaining normal blood pressure levels. Due to this, there’s actually a huge possibility that your chance of having a stroke, a heart attack, or heart disease will be significantly reduced.
Prevents Cancer
A lack of folate can raise one’s risk of developing several different types of cancer, including colon, breast, cervical, lung, and brain cancer. According to the available data, the use of foods high in folate is shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer.
According to the study’s findings, one’s risk of developing colorectal cancer is lowered by 30 percent when one consumes 900 micrograms of folate daily.
Stronger Teeth
When you ingest meals high in phosphorus, such as yardlong beans, your bones may get stronger, and so can your teeth. Because having healthy teeth and gums helps reduce the risk of acquiring tooth-destroying cavities and dental caries, having healthy pearly whites can help you preserve your attractive smile for as long as possible.
Cardiovascular System Health
There is also a nutritional content that is helpful for maintaining a healthy heart, which can lead to a reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. The high concentration of vitamin K found in nutritious yard long bean vegetables has been shown to prevent the enlargement of the arteries, which is the primary contributor to coronary artery disease and heart failure.
Recent studies have demonstrated that one of the types of vitamin K, known as vitamin K2, when paired with vitamin D, can reduce the hardening of coronary arteries, which in turn helps avoid cardiovascular disease.
Reduces the Chance of Developing Constipation
Much like many other kinds of veggies, yardlong beans are among the best fiber suppliers you can find. This indicates that including them in your diet consistently has the potential to assist in fostering a normal movement of the bowels unquestionably.
Increases Muscle Mass
It is a fantastic idea for you to consume yardlong beans if you are a vegetarian or just want to minimize the number of animal products you put into your body. This is due to the fact that they provide your body with protein, which is essential for a wide variety of physical processes, including the development and maintenance of strong muscles.
Selection and Storage Process for YardLong Beans
In most cases, yardlong beans are picked when the pods are still immature, right before they reach their complete developmental stage. Because of this, they tend to spoil quickly if left out in the open for a few hours. Soon after the harvest, the beans are moved from the farms to cold storage facilities in the surrounding area.
In farmer markets located all around Asia, fresh beans that are still tender may be purchased at any time of the year. Nonetheless, in the United States of America, you might be able to get them at certain markets that specialize in Asian or Cantonese veggies, as well as in certain supermarkets that acquire their supplies from the West Indies. In most cases, they are offered for sale in little bunches that are just loosely knotted.
Choose immature pods that are smooth, hard yet flexible, meaty, long, and consistently green in color. Stay away from pods that have become mature, rough, flabby, yellow, or shriveled since these characteristics indicate old stock and, as a result, lack flavor.
When you get them back to your house, prepare them in the same manner as you would with french or green beans. Keep your yardlong beans fresh for two to four days by storing them in a plastic bag inside a refrigerator with the humidity level adjusted to just the right level.
Techniques for Cooking and Presenting YardLong Beans
Young yardlong beans, often known as asparagus, are typically prepared like other popular vegetables. To get the beans ready, put them in a basin and cover them with clean water. Paper towels should be used to blot them dry. Cut off the excess. Utilizing a paring knife, cut the beans to the lengths that you choose.
Yardlong beans may be found in virtually every regional variation in East Asian cuisine. They provide the foods a taste that is distinctively bean-like.
Here are some serving tips:
- Yardlong beans, when eaten raw, are quite soft and can be used in salads. They may be prepared as a side dish by being sautéed or steamed, and they go well with fish, shellfish, and chicken.
- The beans are traditionally braised in Cantonese style with fish sauce, Chinese fermented black beans, chili, and soy sauce.