Beans originated in Central America around 10,000 years ago with the Mayans. The Aztec people favored a specific type of bean called Phaseolus vulgaris molle. They also developed a method for drying these beans to make them last longer. Over time, this allowed people to travel farther with less provisions, which changed travel and trade patterns throughout the world. These bean farmers were among the first to successfully cross over desolate terrains that had limited vegetation during their migration across the American continents. Subsequently, they brought their bean farming skills with them as they spread across most of Central and South America. Today, most countries have their own characteristics when it comes to beans. For example, the tradition of serving beans at Thanksgiving dinner in America is due to the Pilgrims' origin from Plymouth in Massachusetts. Along with this appetizer, they also served green beans as a side dish; this is because green beans were a common vegetable in the American colonies at that time.

Various types of beans are widely cultivated all over the world- including Africa, Australia and China. These are known as pulse crops or legumes, which refer to vegetable proteins rather than animal proteins like meat or eggs. There are many different types of beans with varying degrees of nutritional value. Black beans from South America contain a large amount of fiber; red kidney beans from North America are high in protein; white navy bean soup is popular in India; and cannellini beans from Italy provide lots of calcium. Plus, cannellini beans have more antioxidants than any other bean variety. Many people enjoy cooking with different types of beans every day- perhaps due to their versatility and nutritional value.