So what’s a butterbean, you may ask. It refers to the larger, flatter, paler lima bean which when cooked has a buttery taste and texture to it. The other variety of lima bean is a baby lima which is small, firmer and greener. To try to simplify this, a pot of lima beans that are large, beige or pale yellow, served alone as a side dish are butterbeans. Succotash, which is another Southern favorite, consists of sweet corn and small, green, firm lima beans.
Lima beans have been cultivated since 2000 AD, mainly in Central and South America. They originated in Peru and when they were introduced to Europe and America, the crates were labeled from Lima, and that is how both varieties of these beans got their names. Continue reading “Southern Butterbeans”