[Sca-cooks] peas vs. beans

[Sharon Palmer]

>Ranvaig commented:
><<< I checked the index of Apicus for "bean" and "torta" and don't see
>anything like this.    The notes say that one word now associated
>with beans, actually meant peas then.  >>>
>
>So what determines whether something is considered a bean and when 
>it is considered a pea? Now and in period?

I found a couple of modern answers

>Beans are of the genus Phaseolus.
>Peas are of the genus Pisum.

>peas have tendrils and beans do not

>peas have a hollow stem and beans have a solid stem.

>In general peas have slick vines and beans have hairy vines that enable
>them to cling.

>Bean is used for a lot of different
>things and usually tagged by shape.

In period, it will depend on the language too.  Or are you only 
asking about English?

Ranvaig