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Rice and beans is a staple food in many cultures around the world. It provides several important nutrients, and is widely available. See the See Also section for a number of ethnic dishes employing these two ingredients.

Description

The dish usually consists of white or brown rice accompanied by brown, red or black, dry beans (typically Phaseolus vulgaris or Vigna unguiculata) and seasoned in various ways. Different regions have different preferences. In Brazil, for example, black beans are more popular in Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, while in most other parts of the country these are mostly only used in feijoadas. The New Orleans specialty known as "red beans and rice" is often accompanied by a side of smoked sausage or a fried pork chop.

In many areas, rice and beans are often served side by side rather than mixed. Either way, they may be considered a meal, frequently with a topping of meat or chicken. Meat or other ingredients are sometimes placed atop rice and beans or (less often) mixed into it.

History

The Americas

While beans are native to the Americas, rice is not. Rice was introduced to the Caribbean and South America by European colonizers at an early date with Spanish colonizers introducing Asian rice to Mexico in the 1520s at Veracruz and the Portuguese and their African slaves introducing it at about the same time to Colonial Brazil. More recent scholarship suggests that African slaves played a more active role in the establishment of rice in the New World and that African rice was an important crop from an early period. In either case, varieties of rice and bean dishes were a staple dish among the peoples of West Africa, and they remained a staple among their descendants subjected to slavery in the Spanish New World colonies and elsewhere in the Americas.

Nutritional significance

The dish is very nutritious. Rice is rich in starch, an excellent source of energy. Rice also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans also contain a good amount of iron and an even greater amount of protein than rice.

In addition, rice and beans are common and affordable ingredients, often available even when times are hard.

Culture

In Brazil, rice and beans are commonly eaten as everyday lunch, along with a different variety of meats and vegetables. It is also common to prepare dinner using the lunch leftovers. Brazil is the world leader in dry beans production and Latin American leader in rice consumption.

See also

• Louisiana Creole cuisine
• Gallo pinto, a Nicaraguan/Costa Rican version of rice and beans
• Arroz con gandules, a Puerto Rican version of rice and pigeon peas
• Platillo Moros y Cristianos, a Cuban version of fully mixed rice and black beans
• Beans on toast, a British cereal + beans dish
• Rice and peas, a Jamaican staple dish
• Kongbap, a Korean rice and beans dish
• Rajma, an Indian bean dish usually served with rice
• Mujaddara, a rice and lentils dish from Middle East
• Haitian cuisine
• Feijoada, Brazilian national dish

References

1. Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas by Judith A. Carney
2. National Research Council (1996-02-14). "African Rice". Lost Crops of Africa: Volume I: Grains. Lost Crops of Africa. Vol. 1. National Academies Press. ISBN 978-0-309-04990-0. Retrieved 2008-07-18. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |origdate= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)

Bibliography

• Embrapa, Origem e História do Arroz and Origem e História do Feijão Template:Pt icon
• Arroz e Feijão: Uma dupla infalível, Camaquã Alimentos Template:Pt icon

External links

• Embrapa - Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária Template:En icon

• Rice dishes
• Legume dishes