About National Bean Day
January 6 is thought to have been chosen as National Bean Day because it was on that date in 1884 that geneticist Gregor Mendel, who used bean and pea plants to test his theories on inheritance, died. His work is credited with forming the basis of modern genetics.
Ten Bean Facts
- Beans were one of the first food crops grown, eaten for over 6,000 years.
- The average Briton eats four times the amount of beans as an average American does.
- A bowl of beans is given to newlyweds in Nicaragua for good luck.
- You can make all kinds of things with beans including cakes, burgers, and even fudge.
- Great Britain eats about 40 tons of baked beans every hour. That is A LOT of beans!
- Most beans are grown and produced in Nebraska, Michigan, and North Dakota.
- Public officials in ancient Greece were voted into office by who chose the white bean from a bowl of black beans.
- There are more than 40,000 varieties of beans (thanks to Mendel).
- People have been using beans for building for years such as bean bag chairs, toys, and jewelry.
- The largest bean pods in the world can grow up to five feet long. That is taller than me! The Entada gigas is also known as the Sea Heart or Monkey Ladder and is found in Costa Rica.
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