In some countries, the appearance of fresh fava beans in the market is a sign of spring's arrival. In Hong Kong, they seem to be available year-round.
What are they? When fresh, favas are fuzzy green pods with thick shells hiding green, flattish, oval beans. The beans inside are covered with a tough skin that needs to be removed. Dried fava beans
are pale tan.
What to look for: as with most vegetables, smaller, younger favas are more tender than older specimens.
Where to buy? Favas, which in Chinese are known as chong dao, are popular in Shanghainese cuisine. Markets specialising in Shanghainese ingredients carry fresh favas year-round. They're sometimes sold in wet markets and you can also buy frozen, shelled favas. Traditional Chinese snack shops that sell items such as dried plums, preserved ginger and candied walnuts also sometimes sell fried, salted fava beans.
What else? Fresh favas are time-consuming to prepare and the yield is small: 1kg of fava pods yields only about one cup of shelled beans. If the vegetable vendor has shelled favas, they're worth the extra cost. Blanching the beans in boiling, salted water makes it easier to peel the skins. Although fresh favas are sometimes eaten when they're very young, small and tender, they can cause a rare allergic reaction called favism. This doesn't usually occur when the beans are cooked. How to prepare: there are many ways to enjoy fava beans other than with 'liver ... and a nice Chianti', as Hannibal Lecter recommends in The Silence of the Lambs. Fresh favas are delicious in soups (see recipe, left). For a simple, rustic appetiser, cook fresh, peeled favas and puree them with extra-virgin olive oil and roasted garlic, then spread on thin slices of good-quality toasted bread. Fresh favas can be sauteed with olive oil and garlic before being tossed with cooked pasta and plenty of grated pecorino cheese.