Pinto Beans Vs Navy Beans – What Is The Difference?
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Beans are a staple to any household dinner in America. With so many varieties to choose from, one can easily get confused. The two beans that most people get confused with are pinto beans vs navy beans. You might be wondering what the uses of both types are, and what the difference is. Well, the answer lies in culture and recipes.
Pinto beans are a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Navy beans, on the other hand, are a staple in American culture. Pinto (pink) beans are widely used in Mexican recipes such as burritos and tacos. The white Navy beans, on the other hand, got their name from being a staple of the US Naval diet in the late 1800s.
Many dishes across America make use of both kinds of beans. However, you may recognize one as refried beans and the other as Boston Baked Beans. As you get into the characteristics of these beans and get to know about their uses, the differences will stand out.
Pinto Beans Vs Navy Beans
Both pinto beans and navy beans have unique characteristics. Though both beans are medium-sized and oval-shaped, pinto beans are beige/brown, while the navy beans are white. As mentioned, their uses are also different. Their exact characteristics are also way more diverse than you might think.
Pinto Beans
You can identify Pinto beans by their moldy and brownish skin. Most prefer this type of bean for use as refried beans in Mexican-origin dishes. Their Spanish name ‘judías pintas’ literally means “speckled bean” due to its appearance. People eat it whole, in broths, and sometimes mashed and refried.
The most favored methods of cooking these beans include: soaking, cooking with spices, and then simmering and seasoning. This process brings out its true flavor and primes it for the best use. After this point, you can cook the beans further with oils and spices to put them in tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.
Pinto beans are often used as a substitute when there isn’t any meat available. They can give a creamy texture to any dish they’re in. Besides that, this protein also gives you essential amino acids. Additionally, they can lower both types of cholesterol in the human body. Despite the health benefits, people love pinto beans more because of their taste and flavor value.
Navy Beans
The navy bean is a white bean type originating from the Americas. It is medium-sized, oval-shaped, and white. The most common use for these beans is as baked beans. Other than that, people also use it as a protein in soups and pies.
The navy beans became popular because of their attachment to the US Navy diet for more than 200 years. As they have a slight flavor and lots of absorption, they can suck in the flavors of other ingredients while cooking. You can find navy beans in many traditional American dishes.
People favor them because of their health and nutritional benefits more than anything else. Navy beans carry high amounts of protein, fibers, and minerals. These beans might be a bit bland in their taste, but their health value makes up for it.
The Cultural Significance Of Pinto And Navy Beans
The main cultural difference between the two is their places of origin. One comes from Mexico, and the other is traditional American. Even in their cooking processes, you can catch the dissimilarities.
Pinto beans have become a staple in Spanish and Mexican cuisine due to their high-protein content. People have eaten them with starch-rich foods since olden times. And they became even more popular in the Southern USA as a dish for dinner parties. The churches and local organizations in these places still keep suppliers of this bean for community gatherings.
On the other hand, the use of white beans in the US Navy caused it to become popular across the country. It also bloomed in Australia when people needed to save up on nutritious food during the economic crisis of World War II. The American troops as well as the military there, helped it spread across Australia as well.
Cooking Pinto And Navy Beans
The usage of the two types of beans differs in cultural dishes. But since they are both staples in American foods now, people use them more liberally. Despite this, their cooking processes are different. You can find them in both fresh and dried forms. But that is where the similarities end.
Cooking With Pinto Beans
Pinto beans need to be soaked before cooking for other items. After soaking them, you have to boil them for two to three hours to make them softer and more edible.
You can then drain the beans and add aromatics to them to get the flavor. And the general cooking process will be the same.
Cooking With Navy Beans
People use navy beans to add a little flavor to soups and salads. While processing this bean, you don’t need to soak them for hours. Dried or fresh navy beans can be rinsed, dried, and boiled in fresh water. This gives the best result for any navy bean dish you want to cook. Here’s how you can prepare navy beans for cooking.
One thing that navy beans and pinto beans have in common is that they can be paired with any protein. To cook these beans, you will need to simmer them and add flavorings as you please. After they are cooked, salting them can help them last longer in the fridge.
Are They Interchangeable?
There has been a lot of talk about the differences between the two types of beans so far. But you might still wonder why people suggest substituting one bean for another? Fortunately, it is an easy question to answer. No, they are not interchangeable. But, you can use navy beans as an alternative to pinto beans. Here’s why.
If you find yourself out of pinto beans, navy beans can become a good alternative. The texture of the pinto beans is smooth. And it also adds creaminess to the texture of the dish. In the case of navy beans, their taste is milder than pinto. But they can recreate the creamy texture of the pinto beans when they are processed well.
Some cooks suggest that navy beans are the best option when you don’t have any pinto beans at hand. Because cooking temperatures can make navy beans just as soft as pinto beans. So, even if they lack a little bit of flavor, navy beans are the best substitutes. Unfortunately, it cannot be done vice versa because pinto is much more flavorful than navy beans.
Nutritional Differences Between Pinto And Navy Beans
It can be said that neither is better than the other. Because both beans are important to different dishes that span America. But if you are willing to know the long answer, here it is.
If you have read this far, you probably know that as much as navy beans are a nutritional jackpot, people prefer the flavor of pinto beans more. Also, on the first look, it seems as if navy beans are more nutritious overall. But nutritional research says otherwise. Pinto beans contain a significant amount of minerals and fibers that are missing in navy beans.
Now, if you consider that pinto beans are more flavorful and more nutritious, you have your answer. From a scientific point of view, pinto beans are healthier. And from a consumer point of view, pinto beans are much tastier than navy beans. So overall, pinto beans are better.
