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The pinto bean () is a variety of common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris). In Spanish language they are called frijoles pintos. It is the most popular bean by crop production in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States, and is most often eaten whole (sometimes in broth), or refried beans. Prepared either way, it is a common filling for , tostadas, or in Mexican cuisine, also as a side dish or as part of an main course served with a side tortilla or sopapilla in New Mexican cuisine.
In South America, it is known as the poroto frutilla, literally "strawberry bean". In Portuguese, the Brazilian name is feijão carioca (literally "carioca bean"; contrary to popular belief, the beans were not named after Rio de Janeiro, but after a pig breed that has the same color as the legume), which differs from the name in Portugal: feijão catarino. Additionally, the young immature pods may be harvested and cooked as green pinto beans. There are a number of different varieties of pinto bean, notably some originating from Northern Spain, where an annual fair is dedicated to the bean.
In many languages, "pinto" means "colored" or "painted", as derived from the Late Latin pinctus and Classical Latin pictus. In Spanish language, it means "painted", "dappled", or "spotted". The coloration of pinto beans is similar to that of .
Pinto beans are often found in Brazilian cuisine. Legumes, mainly the common bean, are a staple food everywhere in the country, cultivated since 3000 BCE, along with starch-rich foods, such as rice, manioc, pasta, and other wheat-based products, polenta and other corn-based products, potatoes and yams. Pinto beans are also a very important ingredient in Spanish cuisine and Mexican cuisine.
In Spanish cuisine pinto beans are mostly used in a dish named after them.
In the Southern United States, pinto beans are commonly a staple, especially during the winter months. Some organizations and churches in rural areas sponsor "pinto bean suppers" for social gatherings and fund raisers.
The alubia pinta alavesa, or the "Alavese pinto bean", a red variety of the pinto bean, originated in Añana, Recetas para acordarse de sabores perdidos : "Añana. Es el origen de la alubia pinta alavesa y, como tal, esta legumbre pesa en su cocina. Ya sea en cocido, crema o sopa. El queso Idiazábal o el conejo son otros de sus manjares." (Spanish) a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country of northern Spain. In October, the Feria de la alubia pinta alavesa (Alavese pinto bean fair) is celebrated in Pobes. Algunas de las ferias tradicionales en Euskadi: "La Feria de la alubia pinta alavesa, que se celebra en octubre en la localidad de Pobes." (Spanish)
Rice and pinto beans served with cornbread or maize tortillas are often a staple meal where meat is unavailable. This combination contains the essential amino acids necessary for humans in adequate amounts: Essential Amino Acids. phy-astr.gsu.edu: "Tillery points out that a number of popular ethnic foods involve such a combination, so that in a single dish, one might hope to get the ten essential amino acids. Mexican maize and beans, Japanese rice and soybeans, and Cajun red beans and rice are examples of such fortuitous combinations." maize complements beans' relative scarcity of methionine and cystine and beans complement maize's relative scarcity of lysine and tryptophan.
Studies have indicated pinto beans can lower the levels of both HDL and LDL cholesterol.
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