ENTRY: feijão-verde
CLASS: noun
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Vigna unguiculata
EQUIVALENT: unripe bean
DEFINITION: A legume harvested and cooked still fresh, before getting dried, when they are light green and soft. Very appreciated in the Northeast.
EXAMPLE: Add the fresh beans and enough water to cover them completely.
SOURCE: Sabores e Saberes do Ceará
COMMENT: The name feijão-verde ─ literally, green beans ─ does not refer to a specific kind of bean, but to different kinds at a certain stage of ripeness. Black-eyed peas or common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are called feijão-verde when they are cooked before getting dried. In the Northeast, they are mixed with rice and other ingredients in the preparation of baião-de-dois or form one of the layers of arrumadinho ─ a dish which also calls for dried meats and manioc flour.