The mung bean special

The formerly virtually unknown mung bean is making a quick rise in western cuisine. Mung beans are delicious in a variety of dishes, like salads and soups. We use the mung bean to grow mung bean sprouts. Mung beans and mung bean sprouts create a nice variety on your plate with a healthy touch. Eating healthy food is receiving more and more attention. Upcoming food trends, like healthy, sustainable and plant based eating, creates new chances for businesses and consumers.

Both mung beans and mung bean sprouts perfectly fit into a healthy diet. The benefits of eating mung beans and mung bean sprouts are not generally known in Western Europe. The last few years this has been changing rapidly.

In this blog we make a deep dive into the power of the small mung bean.

The raw material of mung bean sprouts

Mung beans, also called green beans, have a small and oval shape. They can be recognized by their olive-green color and a small white line. Mung beans are edible legumes and the seeds of the Vigna Radiata. This plant grows large pods of 10 centimeters tall. The pod protects the seeds until they are ripe. Every pod can contain up to 20 mung beans. The split version of the mung bean is called the ‘mung dal’. You can recognize them by their yellow color and different flavor. Other known legumes are:

Soy beans
Peas
Lentils
Chickpeas

Did you know: in Germany they often incorrectly call mung bean sprouts Sojaprossen (soy sprouts) and in Belgium sojascheuten. Many people therefore think that mung bean sprouts originate from soy beans. However, mung bean sprouts sprout from mung beans.

Where do mung beans come from?

The origin of the mung bean can be traced back to India. From there the beans quickly spread to the south and east of Asia, Africa, Australia and South-America. Nowadays mung beans grow all around the world. The beans are grown at a maximum height of 1850 meters. Almost 90% of mung beans worldwide grow in Asia. There are nitrogen-fixing bacteria in legumes that have a positive effect on soil fertility and the environment. In tropical climates they grow legumes in the dry season and rice in the wet season. This way the farmland provides revenue for the farmers all year round.

From Asia to Evers Specials

Every year we buy large quantities of mung beans in Asia. The mung beans are mechanically sorted. Every year we transport the mung beans before the monsoon (rainy season). We store the beans in a dry environment, to guarantee their quality.

We are closely involved with the mung bean farmers. We believe in the power of cooperation and maintain strong ties with our mung bean growers, processors and exporters. To lift the mung bean supply chain to a higher level, we provide trainings that are open to all mung bean farmers in:

Food safety
Growing methods
Raw material choices
European regulations
Corporate social responsibility

Quality control and food safety

Good quality control is crucial for food safety. At Evers Specials we conduct quality controls at various times to ensure the food safety of the mung beans. The first bulk tests are conducted when the mung beans are still in Asia. After approval of these test samples the mung beans are released for transportation to Nijmegen. Then we take another sample of 0.5% from the full container. We get this sample tested extensively on salmonella and E-coli. When these tests are negative, the mung beans are released for usage. The mung beans are kept in closed off boxes, and are stored dark and free of moisture.

How to use?

Whereas mung bean sprouts have a relatively short shelf life, you can keep mung beans for a long time under the right circumstances. Because of the nutty flavor mung beans fit into a variety of dishes. Check Smulweb for some delicious recipes.

For recipes with mung beans you can think of:

Salads
Soups / dhal
Curry
Icecream or cake
Pastas or tomato sauce