If youre a fan of Mexican food, youve probably eaten refried beans quite a few times. This food is a common accompaniment to burritos, tacos, and other tasty Tex-Mex or Mexican dishes. Along with being hearty and delicious, beans also provide lots of nutrients that are essential for health and wellness. Derived from pinto beans, refried beans are a great source of fiber and protein, as well as important minerals like zinc and iron. These nutrients support good heart health, help regulate blood sugar, and promote healthy digestion.
Known as frijoles refritos in Spanish, refried beans are believed to have originated in northern Mexico about a century ago. In addition to seasonings like cumin and chili powder, refried beans can also be fried with onion and garlic for even bolder flavors. As for the name refried beans, most people assume that means the beans are fried not once but twice. However, this belief actually stems from a common misunderstanding of the Spanish language.
Refried beans, however, are pretty new, introduced about 100 years ago in northern Mexico. Their still growing popularity is from use in American Tex-Mex cuisine that originated as unique refried bean recipes specific to individual border town restaurants of Mexico and Texas.
Regarding the ‘re’ in refried beans
Both English and Spanish share the prefix re, as illustrated by the words refritos and refried. However, the prefix does not mean the same thing in English as it does in Spanish. To English speakers, re is typically understood to mean again. As a result, most assume that refried beans are fried two separate times during the cooking process. In Spanish, the prefix actually translates to very. Accordingly, refritos are not fried two times, but they are very fried.
In addition to canned beans, you can also use dried beans to make this dish. In this case, its a good idea to soak your beans prior to cooking to ensure they achieve the proper texture. The beans must also be boiled in water before frying, ensuring they can be effectively mashed into a paste while frying. Be sure to save some of the boiled bean water to add to the frying pan, in addition to other ingredients like onions and seasoning. If youre pressed for time and would rather use canned beans during dinner, there are a few ways you can amp up the flavor.
Food Tech: Refried Beans | History
FAQ
Who invented refried beans?
Are refried beans Mexican or Spanish?
What do Mexicans eat with refried beans?
Why are Mexican refried beans so good?
What is refried beans?
Refried beans (from Spanish: frijoles refritos, lit. ‘rehashed or warmed-over beans’) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular in many other Latin American countries.
Are refried beans good for health?
Yes, refined beans are a good source of nutrients like fiber, iron, magnesium and zinc. They are relatively high in sodium. The method of preparation without saturated fat or low salt, refined beans are actually good and healthy. They are high in soluble fiber it a type of fiber which is helpful in slowing the digestion of carbohydrates and reduces there capability.
Are refried beans popular in Latin America?
Refried beans are also popular in many other Latin American countries. The English “refried beans” is a mistranslation, since the essence of “frijoles refritos” is the reheating and mashing of the beans.
Where did beans come from?
Domestication later took place in the Andes and in Mesoamerica, independently. The importance of the original location of beans is due to the wild adaptability of the original plant, which allowed it to move into a wide variety of climatic regimes, from the lowland tropics of Mesoamerica into the Andean highlands.