SC - Fava Beans

[Stephen Bloch]

Lord Ras writes:
> Fava beans are quite similar to lima beans in taste and texture only somewhat
> stronger. I would coution those of Mediterranean descent to be careful if you
> have not eaten these before. People of Mediterranean descent can have
> allergic reactions to these beans. It is not deadly  but is extremely
> unpleasant. People of non-mediterranean descent are not known to have this
> reaction.

It's not technically an "allergic" reaction, but for practical purposes
cooks should probably treat it as one.  The condition, a genetically-
based hemolysis reaction (and no, I don't remember what symptoms that
implies) to some compound in fava beans, is called "favism".  I looked
it up in one of my grandfather's medical books a few years ago.
Apparently it appears mostly in two ethnic populations: a mild form in
blacks (probably from a specific part of Africa, but I don't remember)
and a more severe form in people of Mediterranean descent, particularly
Sephardic Jews.
					mar-Joshua ibn-Eleazar ha-Shalib
                                                 Stephen Bloch
                                           sbloch at panther.adelphi.edu
					 http://www.adelphi.edu/~sbloch/
                                        Math/CS Dept, Adelphi University