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Are these Red Beans or Red Kidney beans?

Seasoned Advice Asked by PaN1C_Showt1Me on March 8, 2021

beans

Hello
I would like to ask the community, if this the kidney beans are (which are good for rajma) or these are the red beans. The package says RED BEANS only..

Thank you

2 Answers

Though people seem to consider them 'the same thing' they are actually not. There is a 'red bean' distinct from a kidney bean.

What you have there, though, are kidney beans.

I found a couple of sources of comparison. The first, in text, from an actual bean company, Randall, which I thought gave it some added authority.

Kidney Beans
Of the three [they were including pintos, which we don't need here], kidney beans are noticeably the biggest and plumpest. Looked at side-by-side with other beans, kidney beans also have a much more distinct shape that isn’t as round and oblong and looks more like a kidney. Go figure! Their thicker dark red skin makes them ideal for and commonly used in lots of dishes that are cooked over long periods of time like chili, baked beans, and jambalaya where they are great at soaking up and absorbing other flavors in the dish. But, they are also a great hearty and healthy protein topper for salad too.

Red Beans
While many people think kidney beans and red beans are the same, they are actually two different kinds of beans! When you put one next to the other, the visual differences are immediately apparent. Where kidney beans are one of the largest beans, red beans are much smaller and retain the classic oblong shape. And while both are red, kidney beans have a darker, more crimson shade while red beans are much brighter, almost pinkish, shade of red and have a much “beanier” taste. Despite their differences, red beans do often go in similar rice and stew recipes as kidney beans and pinto beans.

…and another source with pictures… Difference Guru

Kidney beans
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Red beans
enter image description here

Correct answer by Tetsujin on March 8, 2021

"Red beans" almost always refers to red kidney beans, which these look to be. This is true in many, even most, varieties of English.

Other common beans are reddish ((such as Adzuki beans) but none are as red and uniform as red kidney beans. The "small red bean" or "Mexican red bean" is rare - I couldn't find them in stock anywhere online. Anyway the two can be substituted for each other)

Answered by Chris H on March 8, 2021

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