Bean Sprouts Bean sprouts are best known from the cooking of China, where mung bean sprouts became popular in the south and soybean sprouts in the north about 1,000 years ago Many other legumes are sprouted in Asia and elsewhere, from the tiny alfalfa seed to the massive fava bean Cooks sometimes trim larger sprouts of their rootlets, primordial leaves, and dense cotyledons, so that the subtle texture and flavor of the stems can be enjoyed without distraction Sprouts are generally cooked minimally if at all to preserve the delicate flavor and tender but crunchy texture Cooking Legumes Most mature legume seeds are starchy, and require cooking in water to soften the cotyledon cell walls and starch granules Fresh shell beans are mature but still moist, and so cook fairly quickly, in 10 to 30 minutes They’re also sweeter than the dried beans Peas, lima beans, cranberry beans, and soybeans (edamame) are the legumes most commonly eaten fresh Whole dried beans and peas can take an hour or two to cook, much longer than the dried grains This is due in part to their larger size, but also to the effectiveness of their seed coat at controlling the absorption of water, which is necessary for softening the cell walls and starch Initially water can enter only through the hilum, the little pore on the curved back of the bean After 30–60 minutes in cool water (more quickly in hot), the seed coat has become fully hydrated and expanded From this point on, most of the water flowing into the bean passes across the entire seed coat surface, but the rate of flow is still limited Legumes whose hulls have been removed — split peas, many Indian dals — cook more quickly and disintegrate into a ... coat at controlling the absorption of water, which is necessary for softening the cell walls and starch Initially water can enter only through the hilum, the little pore on the curved back of the bean After 30–60 minutes... in cool water (more quickly in hot), the seed coat has become fully hydrated and expanded From this point on, most of the water flowing into the bean passes across the entire seed coat surface, but the rate of flow is still... Whole dried beans and peas can take an hour or two to cook, much longer than the dried grains This is due in part to their larger size, but also to the effectiveness of their seed coat at controlling the absorption of water,