This is the smallest bean I have seen so far, somewhere between 4 and 5 mm in length. Its scientific name is Vigna aconitifolia or Phaseolus aconitifolius. It is called moth bean in English and haricot papillon in French.
This bean does not seem to have a common name in my native Dutch. I found 'akonietbladige klimboon' in two books of the 18th century, but that is obviously a botanical name, not one used in trade or retail. One person called them "ieniemienieboontjes" because they are so tiny. I quite like that, but since there is no certainty that no smaller beans exist, I prefer not to use that name.
While I quite like the French 'haricot papillon', I think that 'moth' is more appropriate in view of their rather subdued colour. So, I decided to go with 'mottenboontjes', a diminutive form of 'mottenbonen' which is itself a translation from English.
Moth beans [Suraj brand]
I am using the Suraj brand. There is no special reason for it, except that it is the only one available in my neighbourhood and it is therefore not much of a choice.
Where protein sources are concerned, I like to normalise them to 15 grams of protein. Therefore:
68.2 g
225 kcal
0.7 g fat
15 g protein
45 g total carbohydrates
11.6 g fibre
33.4 g net carbohydrates
A few thoughts
I happen to love these beans. They are just as easy to use as lentils, but their texture and taste are somewhat different and more pleasant.
One of the reasons they are so great, is that they require no work. When I make soup, I add 69 g of the beans to the rice cooker, and also double the amount of water I usually put in because these beans (like all dry beans, lentils or TVP) absorb quite a bit of water. It is quick, easy and the result is really tasty and pleasant to eat. Real food for a busy single.
The only thing to take into account is that they may not be for everyone.
My blood sugar levels certainly go up when I eat these (and most other beans, with the exception of lupini, young (edamame) and old soybeans and TVP). The rise is not an alarming one, but people who are concerned about this are advised to keep an eye on things and perhaps start with smaller quantities.
The other thing is the fibre they contain. It is not insignificant. The soup I usually make, contains about 8 grams of fibre from the vegetables. When I add these beans, the total quantity of fibre is close to 20 grams. Not everyone can tolerate such large quantities of fibre.
I happen to be OK with that, but my toilet is not. It is one of those models that use less water, and I have to help it along several times a week. Fibre is said to be good for us, but there are clearly some downsides as well. Keep in mind that, given time, our digestive tract can adapt to pretty much anything we throw at it, but toilets and their tracts are not quite that flexible...
This bean does not seem to have a common name in my native Dutch. I found 'akonietbladige klimboon' in two books of the 18th century, but that is obviously a botanical name, not one used in trade or retail. One person called them "ieniemienieboontjes" because they are so tiny. I quite like that, but since there is no certainty that no smaller beans exist, I prefer not to use that name.
While I quite like the French 'haricot papillon', I think that 'moth' is more appropriate in view of their rather subdued colour. So, I decided to go with 'mottenboontjes', a diminutive form of 'mottenbonen' which is itself a translation from English.
Moth beans [Suraj brand]
I am using the Suraj brand. There is no special reason for it, except that it is the only one available in my neighbourhood and it is therefore not much of a choice.
 |  |
| Nutrition facts | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 330 |
| Fat (g) | 1 |
| Proteins (g) | 22 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 66 |
| Fibre (g) | 17 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 49 |
Where protein sources are concerned, I like to normalise them to 15 grams of protein. Therefore:
68.2 g
225 kcal
0.7 g fat
15 g protein
45 g total carbohydrates
11.6 g fibre
33.4 g net carbohydrates
A few thoughts
I happen to love these beans. They are just as easy to use as lentils, but their texture and taste are somewhat different and more pleasant.
One of the reasons they are so great, is that they require no work. When I make soup, I add 69 g of the beans to the rice cooker, and also double the amount of water I usually put in because these beans (like all dry beans, lentils or TVP) absorb quite a bit of water. It is quick, easy and the result is really tasty and pleasant to eat. Real food for a busy single.
The only thing to take into account is that they may not be for everyone.
My blood sugar levels certainly go up when I eat these (and most other beans, with the exception of lupini, young (edamame) and old soybeans and TVP). The rise is not an alarming one, but people who are concerned about this are advised to keep an eye on things and perhaps start with smaller quantities.
The other thing is the fibre they contain. It is not insignificant. The soup I usually make, contains about 8 grams of fibre from the vegetables. When I add these beans, the total quantity of fibre is close to 20 grams. Not everyone can tolerate such large quantities of fibre.
I happen to be OK with that, but my toilet is not. It is one of those models that use less water, and I have to help it along several times a week. Fibre is said to be good for us, but there are clearly some downsides as well. Keep in mind that, given time, our digestive tract can adapt to pretty much anything we throw at it, but toilets and their tracts are not quite that flexible...
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