What Are the Three Parts of a Mung Bean Seed?

The mung bean is a native seed of India and is frequently used in Asian cuisine. They are easy to identify--their size is comparable to peas, but more oblong in shape than round. Green mung beans are more common, but they are also available in a reddish seed coat. Mung beans are mainly cultivated in Southeast Asia, but can also be found in dry regions in Europe and the U.S.

Epicotyl

The epicotyl is the small growth at the edge of the mung seed that can grow into a sprout. It is possible to sprout the epicotyl of a mung bean with a sprouter, which is a plastic container that encourages mung bean sprouting. Mung beans are commonly sprouted and are popular in several Asian cuisine

Cotyledons

The cotyledons are the hard part of the mung bean. When a mung seed is whole, it looks like it only has one cotyledon, but splitting it in half, makes the two cotyledons more discernible. Cotyledons soften when cooked, and they are mushed to form a paste.

Seed Coat

The mung bean has a green seed coat, which separates from the cotyledons upon cooking. The seed coat protects the mung bean cotyledons, and when raw, this coat cannot be detached from the mung bean.

Eating

Mung beans can be boiled and added to soup, chutney and other dishes. It can also be sweetened with sugar and baked into cakes such as the popular Mung Bean Cake in China. Mung bean sprouts are added to soups in Vietnamese cuisine, and mung bean flour is also used to make transparent spring rolls.

Availability

Mung beans are becoming popular in the United States, and are available in ethnic sections of major supermarkets or in specialty Asian stores. They are usually sold in small 1- to 3-pound transparent bags. They are also found in dishes and desserts served in Asian restaurants.

References

• Sprouting mung beans
• Growing mung bean
• Easy sprouter