Fava

1. also broad bean, English bean, faba, horse bean, Windsor bean. The Latin word faba means "broad bean", making it redundant to call them "fava beans", as we commonly do. They were the only beans available in Europe until the 16th century. The fava supposedly originated in North Africa. However, some Chinese writing indicates that it was cultivated in China more than 5,000 years ago. The fava was also cultivated in biblical times by the Hebrews and later by the Egyptians. The Greeks used it as a ballot and believed that the soul would be reincarnated in a fava. In ancient Rome, the bean was used as a token for the lottery, to designate the king of Saturnalia, a festival of uninhibited feasting and merrymaking. Pythagoras, the famed 6th century BC philosopher and mathematician, is known for insisting his disciples avoid the fava. His edict against the bean has intrigued cooks and historians for centuries. An ancient story tells of a group of Pythagoreans, pursued by their enemies, refusing to cross a field of favas. Rather than disobey the master's dictates and flee through the field, they were slaughtered. Scientists today believe Pythagoras had a fatal sensitivity to the bean. For some people the fava can be poisonous. Sensitive individuals, whose red blood cells lack the enzymes needed to break down the peptide glutathione in favas, may suffer hemolytic anemia within a few minutes of exposure to the pollen of the fava plant or a few hours of eating the beans. Symptoms include jaundice and high fever, and, in severe cases, death may occur within one or two days. 2. a Greek spread made from mashed, cooked yellow split peas, seasoned with lemon juice, onion or garlic, and sometimes oregano, made smooth and rich with the addition of olive oil. Fava is usually served with a variety of other mezedes and crusty bread.

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