Latin name: Vigna radiata
Chinese name: lu dou
Other names: black dhal, black gram, black mung, gram bean
What are Mung Beans?
Mung beans are beans native to India and are valued in a large variety of Asian cuisines for their source of high quality protein. They are used in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Indian cooking, and they are eaten whole, as bean sprouts, or as the basis of soup such as mung dal in India. They are made into paste, which can be the flavor of ice cream or used as a cake filling. They are also consumed in India as a snack, and the bean sprouts are a vegetable accompaniment to a number of dishes. Mung beans are the basis of the flour used to make the wrapping of spring rolls in Vietnam and its starch forms the basis of the cellophane noodles used in various Asian cuisines.
What are the health benefits of Mung Beans?
Mung beans have been traditionally used by eastern herbalists to treat hot inflammatory conditions. When prepared as a soup, mung beans are used to treat heat stroke associated with thirst, irritability, and fever. They are also used to treat systemic infections as well as summer heat syndrome. Mung beans also have diuretic and calming effects. Other conditions treated by the use of mung beans in the diet include edema, headaches, acne, arterial plaque, arthritis, yeast overgrowth, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Where can I find Mung Beans?
Mung beans can be found online, at Asian markets, in herbal specialty shops, and health food stores.
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