Some believe that this unofficial holiday, which is also known as Nation Bean Day in the United States, was created to commemorate the death anniversary of scientist Gregor Mendel. Known as the Father of Genetics, Mendel experimented on peas to discover the laws of genetic inheritance.
Many Varieties
Although many people around the world consider peas as part of the beans family, they are not technically beans. Botanists classify peas and snap peas as vegetables.
Beans have been consumed by humans since ancient times. They are a natural source of proteins, fibers and vitamins and have a small environmental footprint. Today, there are 40,000 known varieties of beans around the world. Only a few of these are cultivated for human consumption.
How to Celebrate?
- This is easy, have beans for every meal: baked beans for breakfast, red beans and rice for lunch, and bean soup for dinner.
- For dessert, have jelly beans, even though technically they are not beans.
- Make bean art. Use different colored beans to make pictures.
Did You Know…
...that the leaves of a bean plant tilt towards the Sun in the day and fold up during the night?