[Sca-cooks] cannellini beans

[Ursula Whitcher]

> If it's the flavor that matters, the closest match is going to be _peeled_ garbanzo beans- tedious, but do-able. All the old world true beans except Favas went extinct through non-cultivation when Phaseolus vulgaris came in, so there are a fair number of period bean recipes for which such substitution is your only option. You can't use favas both because of their very strong, earthy taste and because of a nasty little biological trick we played on ourselves, called favism, where a dangerous reaction to undercooked or raw favas developed as a protection against malaria and then went way overboard.

I think you're being too harsh on favas.  I find them quite tasty
(especially the fresh one, which may show up in your local farmers'
market or in the frozen section of a Middle Eastern or perhaps Mexican
grocery store).  They might not be the best choice for a feast, but
those without a genetic susceptibility to favism can enjoy them
without mishap!

Ursula Georges.