# Lima Beans vs. Butter Beans **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 9, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558 "2002-12-09T17:59:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/1 "2002-12-09T17:59:01Z")
Okay, so what IS the difference? IS there any difference at all, botanically speaking? The lima is pale green and comes in baby-size and Fordhook-size, and they’re right there in your grocer’s freezer, packaged by Bird’s-Eye. The butter is lima-sized and lima-shaped, but is brown and speckly. Also in the grocer’s freezer, but packaged by the Southland Company, who also put out frozen black-eyed peas and frozen collard greens and other items of interest to the rebel forces. Also, I hear tell that some people eat them fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/2 "2002-12-09T18:48:57Z")
[Lima Beans and Butter Beans](http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/fabaceae/phaseolus_lunatus.htm) belong to the same species, _Phaseolus lunatus_, but represent different domestic varieties. The Lima Bean variety was apparently first domesticated in northwestern South America, the Butter Bean variety in Guatemala. See the link for more details. ---
**Author:** ![RaginAzn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@RaginAzn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaginAzn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/3 "2002-12-09T18:55:45Z")
A Butterbean can kick your ass in a boxing ring. Lima beans can’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/4 "2002-12-09T19:23:20Z")
Colibri, I know tomahtos and potahtoes and tobahccos are originally American but I did not know beans were also American. Can you confirm that? Beans are among my favorite foods. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/5 "2002-12-09T20:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RaginAzn \* > \*\*A Butterbean can kick your ass in a boxing ring. Lima beans can’t do that. \*\* Not if the match goes beyond three rounds. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/6 "2002-12-09T20:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Colibri, I know tomahtos and potahtoes and tobahccos are originally American but I did not know beans were also American. Can you confirm that? Beans are among my favorite foods. \*\* Yes, most cultivated beans are of American origin. The Common Bean [Phaseolus vulgaris](http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/fabaceae/phaseolus_vulgaris.htm) includes a huge range of varieties including green beans, black beans, kidney beans, and many others. (Lima/Butter Beans are regarded as a different but closely related species _P. lunatus_ as I mentioned in my first post.) [Fava (Faba] or Broad Beans]([http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY\_MV017](http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/BODY_MV017)) _Vicia faba_, however, originated in the Mediterranean area, and the Soybean _Glycine max_ in China. Another well-known legume that originated in the Americas is the Peanut _Arachis hypogaea_. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/7 "2002-12-09T21:11:21Z")
You got to love these Science Guys. Thank you, **Colibri**! Come on over to my house for dinner: lima beans simmered butter bean-style, with onions, red pepper, and a pork neckbone the size of your fist. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/8 "2002-12-09T21:19:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*You got to love these Science Guys. > > Thank you, **Colibri**! Come on over to my house for dinner: lima beans simmered butter bean-style, with onions, red pepper, and a pork neckbone the size of your fist. \*\* You’re on. I’ll be in town between Dec. 23 and Jan 6. 😉 Colibry, the Science Guy ---
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/9 "2002-12-09T21:22:54Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\* The Lima Bean variety was apparently first domesticated in northwestern South America_\* So they’re really Lee-ma beans then, as in that place in NW S. America, not Lime-a beans? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/10 "2002-12-09T21:31:53Z")
Well, I learn something every day. I did not know Soy beans were real beans. Fava beans are the basis for one of the national dishes of Spain: Fabada Asturiana. I could not find a decent recipe in English, they were all pretty bad. [This recipe](http://www.batista.org/fabada.html) is awful and uses lima rather than fava beans. Your best bet is to travel to Spain _\__ ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/11 "2002-12-09T21:32:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by //\etalhea|) \* > \*\*So they’re really Lee-ma beans then, as in that place in NW S. America, not Lime-a beans? \*\* Yes, they’re “Lima” because they’re from the city in Peru. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/12 "2002-12-09T21:35:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > **Well, I learn something every day. I did not know Soy beans were real beans.** Depends on what you mean by “real” beans, since they’re in a different genus from common beans and Lima beans. But they’re in the same family (Fabaceae), unlike, say, coffee “beans” (Rubiaceae). Other members of the bean family include peas, chickpeas/garbanzos, and lentils. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/13 "2002-12-09T22:33:45Z")
Well, I am pretty botanically ignorant but I would not consider peas, chickpeas and lentils to be beans. I believe they are all legumes though? I guess my perception is that common beans, lima beans and fava beans are all real beans, then these plus lentils etc are legumes and coffe is not a bean at all, just a misnomer. But that’s just my vague impression and not based on anything. I am kind of surprised favas come from the old world and other beans from the new world. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/14 "2002-12-09T22:36:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*You’re on. \*\* [sub]Ah, geez. You invite a guy in Panama over to eat lima beans, you figure you’re safe.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/15 "2002-12-09T22:52:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*[sub]Ah, geez. > > You invite a guy in Panama over to eat lima beans, you figure you’re safe.[/sub] \*\* I’ll settle for a beer at the Megadopefest. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/16 "2002-12-09T23:05:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Well, I am pretty botanically ignorant but I would not consider peas, chickpeas and lentils to be beans. I believe they are all legumes though? > > I guess my perception is that common beans, lima beans and fava beans are all real beans, then these plus lentils etc are legumes and coffe is not a bean at all, just a misnomer. But that’s just my vague impression and not based on anything.\*\* ‘Legumes’ is a group that includes peas, beans and lentils (and Clover, Laburnum, Sweet Peas, Alfalfa etc…) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/17 "2002-12-09T23:40:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sailor \* > \*\*Well, I am pretty botanically ignorant but I would not consider peas, chickpeas and lentils to be beans. I believe they are all legumes though? > > I guess my perception is that common beans, lima beans and fava beans are all real beans, then these plus lentils etc are legumes and coffe is not a bean at all, just a misnomer. But that’s just my vague impression and not based on anything. > > I am kind of surprised favas come from the old world and other beans from the new world. \*\* Well, “bean” is not exactly a technical botanical term. I assume the original “bean” was the fava bean, and the New World ones were called by the same name because of their general resemblance. From Merriam-Webster: > [@](#): > > Main Entry: bean > Etymology: Middle English bene, from Old English bEan; akin to Old High German bOna bean > Date: before 12th century > 1 a : BROAD BEAN b : the seed of any of various erect or climbing leguminous plants (especially genera Phaseolus, Dolichos, and Vigna) other than the broad bean c : a plant bearing beans d : an immature bean pod used as a vegetable > . . . > 3 : any of various seeds or fruits that resemble beans or bean pods; also : a plant producing these Besides _Phaseolus_, the definition mentions the [Hyacinth, Lablab, or Egyptian Bean](https://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Fabaceae/Dolichos_lablab.html) _Dolichos lablab_, whose seed pods are eaten especially in Asia, and the [Mung Bean](http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/mungbean.html) _Vigna radiata_, which are also from the Old World. These various beans, plus peas, chickpeas, and lentils are all legumes, that is, members of the family [Leguminosae](http://www.ildis.org/Leguminosae/), also called the Fabaceae, which is one of the largest families of flowering plants, with 18,000 species. ---
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/18 "2002-12-09T23:48:54Z")
A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lima-beans-vs-butter-beans/141558/19 "2002-12-09T23:57:57Z")
:: can’t think of how to spell the Lecter lip smacking that follows ::