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We all know just how rewarding it is to cook up a healthy, hearty meal for yourself, friends, and family. Even if you’re eating alone, a flavorful meal is so rewarding.
However, have you ever been stuck deciding between two things? Anyone who’s been in this situation and has had to pick between two ingredients will know the frustration of indecision all too well.
Never be left wondering which is the better choice for your meal again – we’ll be taking you through a comparison of black turtle beans vs black beans.
You’ll know exactly which of these two types of beans suits the flavor profile and texture you’re looking for most. Let’s take a closer look at what makes each bean unique.
Black Beans vs Black Turtle Beans
| Black Beans | Black Turtle Beans | |
| Size | Regular, Common Bean Sized | Smaller Than Black Beans |
| Appearance | Black With White Dot And Matt Skin | Black With White Dot And Shiny Skin |
| Flavor | Meaty, Earthy, Mild | Rich, Meaty, Earthy, Strong |
| Texture | Soft And Creamy | Firm But Tender And Creamy |
| Nutrition | 9 Grams Protein, 13 Grams Fiber, 110 Calories Per Serving |
10 Grams Protein, 9.8 Grams Fiber, 150 Calories Per Serving
|
Are Black Beans Same As The Black Turtle Beans?
It may be safe to say that black turtle beans are all black beans, but not all black beans are black turtle beans. There are several differences, including but not limited to size, taste, and consistency.
Either can replace each other in various dishes, but essential, they are not the same. Here’s a breakdown of the characteristics of black turtle beans vs black beans.
Black Turtle Beans
As a variety of the common bean native to America, black turtle beans are popular in Latin American, Cajun, and Creole cuisine. However, it has been featured in local recipes all around the world.
- Size
Black turtle beans are smaller than regular black beans. They’re about half the size of a black bean.
- Appearance
You’ll notice that black turtle beans are far shinier than conventional black beans, with a distinctive white dot shared between both varieties. Once cooked, black turtle blacks turn a shade of brown.
- Flavor
Black turtle beans have a mild but meaty taste carrying light hints of sweetness. They’re not as intense as their counterparts, delivering a mild earthy flavor that compliments rich taste well.
- Texture
Small, hard, and firm enough to retain form when fried or cooked, black turtle beans are noticeably denser than common black beans.
Longer soaking is recommended, with black turtle beans cooking soft but tender when properly prepared.
- Nutrition
Black turtle beans and black beans carry almost identical nutrition. They’re cholesterol-free, high in fiber, and an excellent source of protein.
A single 47-gram serving provides 10 grams of protein, 9.98 grams of fiber, and a healthy dose of iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, niacin, vitamin K, Vitamin C, and folate at 150 calories.
Black Beans
For thousands of years, black beans have been a staple of countless cultures around the world. From the far East to Latin America 7000-years ago, blacks beans have been loved for ages.
Affordable, taste, and packed with protein, they’re a preferred legume that packs immense flavor and a nutritional punch.
- Size
As the bigger bean between the two, black beans are larger than soybeans but smaller than kidney beans.
- Appearance
Large, oval-shaped, and carrying matt-black coloring, black beans can develop a slight shininess if they’ve been on the plant for long and harvested late.
They’re duller than turtle black beans and carry the same distinctive white dot. Just like their counterpart, black beans turtle a shade of brown once cooked.
- Flavor
Black beans and black turtle beans have an almost identical flavor. The bigger black bean also has a bolder flavor, replacing the mildness of turtle beans with meatiness instead. The difference is subtle but noticeable, with a slightly more earthy taste prevailing as well.
- Texture
Regular black beans are a little softer than black turtle beans but generally firm overall.
The same preparation goes into making both varieties, but the larger common black bean cooks quicker and has a creamier texture than its smaller counterpart.
- Nutrition
There’s little difference between the nutritional value of black beans and black turtle beans.
However, black beans contain 9 grams of protein, 13 grams of fiber, iron, zinc, thiamin, niacin, potassium, selenium, and Vitamin D at 110 calories per serving on average.
The Benefits of Black Beans And Black Turtle Beans
Both black turtle beans and common black beans are highly popular. They taste great and are equally good for your health.
Here’s a breakdown of the main health benefits of including black beans in your diet regularly:
- Fiber, potassium, and magnesium lower fluid retention and promote shedding of water
- Total nutrient profile that fortifies bone health and bone strength
- Potassium, calcium, and magnesium balance blood pressure irregularities
- Healthy fiber content improves blood glucose levels
- Zero cholesterol combined with nutrition helps cardiovascular health
- Selenium and folate are cancer preventative compounds improving DNA synthesis
- Fiber content promotes healthy digestion
You can also look forward to receiving a healthy concentration of phytonutrients like saponins, anthocyanins, kaempferol, and quercetin which have profound antioxidant properties when eating either variety of black beans.
Are Black Beans Giving You Gas And Discomfort?
If you find that eating legumes like black turtle beans give you intestinal gas and general discomfort, your body has difficulty digesting complex sugars called galactans. This is due to lacking an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase.
While supplementing with digestive enzymes is an option and upping your intake of natural digestive lipases like pineapple, papaya, and mango, there are other options to bring relief.
Soak your beans beforehand for considerably longer periods, and make sure to drain off the water.
This will eliminate two types of oligosaccharides, raffinose, and stachyose which should make them easier to stomach without discomfort.
Slowly introduce more and more legumes into your diet but eat them regularly, and your digestion will adjust and improve over time.
Conclusion
The right replacement will depend on whether you want the larger, softer black bean in your meal or its smaller, denser but almost equally tender, black turtle bean counterpart.
Both are excellent additions to all types of recipes and a go-to protein for Vegans and meat-eaters alike.