The Great Southern Bean Debate: Butterbeans vs. Lima Beans

Few culinary arguments spark as much regional passion as the distinction between butterbeans and lima beans. In Georgia, the dividing line often falls between South Georgia natives and Atlanta transplants, with strong opinions on whether butterbeans are large and ivory-skinned or small with delicate green skins.

To settle the dispute, I consulted Arty Schronce at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Like many of us, Arty recalls elementary school cafeterias serving gallon cans of large, mealy beans clearly labeled "Lima Beans." For him—and for me—butterbeans are the smaller, more tender cousins with a sweeter, more delicate flavor than their coarse lima counterparts. His personal favorites include 'Dixie White' and 'Dixie Speckled' butterpeas.

Botanically speaking, the official word is that pole beans, lima beans, and butterbeans all belong to the same species, Phaseolus vulgaris. The differences lie only in plant form, pod size, and pod length. Yet in Southern kitchens, that technicality matters little when you're deciding what to simmer with a ham hock for Sunday dinner.