Fava beans, also known as broad beans, are a legume that is grown and eaten around the world. They are one of the oldest known cultivated plants, dating back to about 6000 BCE and were eaten by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and settlers of the eastern Mediterranean. Fava beans grow in big, bumpy green pods on an easy-to-grow flowering pea plant that is harvested in the spring. Inside the cushy pods are large, flat, bright green beans with a tough, clear skin that is typically removed before eating. Fresh favas can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried for use later, and the versatile bean can be used for salads, stews, sauces, fillings, snacks, and more. Fava beans are a nutritious food, rich in protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, and other beneficial nutrients. They are also a low input crop that puts fertility into the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria. Fava beans are typically available fresh in the springtime, but they can also be found frozen or canned. Dried fava beans are available year-round and have a texture similar to cooked chickpeas but slightly softer. It is important to note that fava beans are a trigger food for G6PD, a hereditary enzymatic deficiency, and those who have this deficiency can develop anemia from eating fava beans.