Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foodsofrice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many calories, and both foods are widely available. The beans are usually seasoned, while the rice may be plain or seasoned. The two components may be mixed together, separated on the plate, or served separately.
The dish usually consists of whiteorbrown rice accompanied by cooked brown, redorblack dry beans (typically Phaseolus vulgarisorVigna unguiculata) and seasoned in various ways. This dish is also commonly served with sides of stewed chicken, pork, beef, potato salad, boiled potatoes, and many other sides from many different cultures. In many areas, beans and rice are often served side by side rather than combined. Either way, they may be considered a meal, frequently with a topping of meatorchicken. Meat or other ingredients are sometimes placed atop beans and rice or, less frequently, mixed into it.
Genetic analyses of the common bean Phaseolus shows that it originated in Mesoamerica, and subsequently spread southward, along with maize and squash, traditional companion crops.[1]Asian rice was introduced to Mexico and Brazil during the colonial era by the Spanish and the Portuguese. However, it has recently been discovered that the indigenous peoples of the Amazon had already cultivated a distant relative of Asian rice of the same genus Oryza some 4,000 years ago,[2] and were growing it alongside maize and squash, traditional companion crops of beans, which were also by that time present in South America. Some recent scholarship suggests that enslaved Africans may also have played an active role in the establishment of rice in the New World.[3][4] It is also one of the most common foods in some Spanish-speaking countries.
Beans and rice are both nutritious ingredients. Rice is rich in starch, making it a good source of energy. Rice also has iron and some protein. Beans also contain iron and a greater amount of protein in comparison to rice. Together they make up a complete protein, which provides large quantities of each of the amino acids the body cannot produce by itself.[5]
In some Latin American states and countries, beans and rice 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. Beans and rice are especially popular in Brazil, which is the world's third largest producer of dry beans[6] and the largest consumer of rice in the Americas.[7]
Worldwide, there are many dishes with a base of beans and rice, which vary in their cooking and additional ingredients. Variations exist regionally, as cultures shape the dishes to their own preferences. In countries near or in the Caribbean, these dishes are simply known as rice and beans, in which the dish is cooked in coconut milk, the following is a list of variations:
Brazil: arroz com feijãoorfeijoada, a traditional dish made with black beans and pork meat, served with rice.
Moros y cristianos: also known as just moros, it is made with black beans. If made with red beans, it would be considered congris.
Congris: made with red beans, the beans are cooked first with onion, green chili, garlic, tomato, bay leaf, touch of cumin and oregano, salt, and dry wine; before they soften completely, the raw rice is added, letting them cook together, until they consume the broth and the rice is dry and loose. The beans are also prepared in their broth with the rice separate.
arroz junto: made with red beans, pink, or pinto beans, and prepared with meat all in same pot.
arroz con gandules: one pot dish with rice, pigeon peas, smocked pork, olives, capers and several other ingredients. This is part of Puerto Rico's national dish.
arroz con habichuelas: white rice with stew beans. The beans are typically stewed with potatoes, squash, ham, tomato sauce, sofrito, sazon, olives, and capers.
Suriname: bruine bonen met rijst, one-pot dish with mixed meats and kidney beans, served with rice.
Venezuela: These dishes may include fried plantains called "tajadas" as it is commonly found in many Venezuelan dishes:
Pabellón criollo: Made with rice, beans or refried black beans and well seasoned shredded beef. It is then surrounded by slices of ripe fried plantain. The plantain give the name Pabellón con barandas.
Arroz con caraotas: When Pabellón Criollo omits the fried plantains, it has a different name. It is colloquially known as "poor man's lunch" since it is more common in low-income families. However, it can be made and enjoyed by whomever. Fried eggs can also be included.
Palo A pique llanero: Made with rice, brown beans and well seasoned shredded beef, chicken and pork. It is surrounded by slices of ripe plantain and pieces of potatoes. Some areas like Barinas, ApureorBolivar add green plantains.
Liberia : In most parts of West Africa, beans are cooked separately from rice. Kidney beans can be eaten as a soup on top of rice during special occasions.
Rice and beans is referred to as arroz y habas, arroz con habichuelas, arroz con frijoles, gallo pinto, recalentao or similar in Spanish; arroz e feijão, arroz com feijãoorfeijão com arrozinPortuguese; diri ak pwainHaitian Creole; and avas kon arrozoravikas kon arrozinJudaeo-Spanish.
^Carney, Judith A. (2001-04-30). Black Rice: The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas. Cambridge, Mass. London: Harvard University Press. ISBN978-0-674-00452-8.
