The black turtle bean is a small, shiny black variety of the common bean, especially popular in Latin American cuisine. It is often called simply the black bean, although this can cause confusion with other uses of this phrase.
The black turtle bean is popular for its dense, meaty texture and flavor reminiscent of mushrooms. It has also recently been reported to be an extremely good source of nutritional antioxidants.
The black turtle bean is considered the national bean of Brazil, where it is used in the national dish, feijoada completa. It is also a principal ingredient of moros y cristianos, served elsewhere in Latin America.
