Green bean

Green common beans on the plant

Green beans are the unripe fruits of any kind of bean, including the yardlong bean, the hyacinth bean, the pea, the winged bean, the carper (vellum) bean, and especially the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), whose pods are also called string beans or snap beans. Varieties have been bred especially for the fleshiness, flavor, or sweetness of their pods. Smaller bean pods are often referred to by the French name haricots verts.

Green beans are of nearly universal distribution. They are marketed canned, frozen and fresh. A dish with green beans popular in the United States, particularly at Thanksgiving, is green bean casserole. Some restaurants serve green beans that are battered and fried, which greatly reduces the amount of vitamins and minerals that make the green bean a healthy choice. Green beans are also sold dried and fried with other vegetables (carrots, radishes).