Broad bean belongs to family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae, tribe Fabeae, genus Vicia and species Vicia faba L. It is also known as broad bean, aba bean, fava bean, field bean, horse bean, tick bean. Bakela (Ethopia), Boby kurmouvje (former USSR), Faveira (Portugal), Ful masri (Sudan), Feve (French) and Yeshil Bakla (Turkey) are the few names used in different parts of world. In India in Hindi language, it is popularly known as Kala Matar and Bakala as well. In much of the English-speaking world, the name "broad bean" is used for the large-seeded cultivars grown for human food, while "horse bean" and "field bean" refer to cultivars with smaller, harder seeds that are more like the wild species and used for animal feed, though their stronger flavour is preferred in some human food recipes, such as falafel. The term "fava bean" (from Italian: fava for the bean) is used in some English-speaking countries such as Canada and the US, and "broad bean" is the most common name in Commonwealth countries like the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Though, its green pod is mainly used as vegetables, dry cotyledons are one of the excellent and cheap sources of lysine rich protein for poor’s. Faba bean is also a good source of levadopa (L-dopa), a precursor of dopamine, can be potentially used as medicine for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. It is one of the best crop that can be used as green manure and one of the best bio factory of nitrogen by fixing 130 to 160 kg N/ha. Broad beans are stiffly erect plant in the Fabaceae family, native to North Africa and Southwest Asia but now widely cultivated elsewhere. Faba bean is an important legume crop because of its high‐yield potential and nutrition‐dense grains. There have been significant achievements in faba bean improvement in the last four decades, which led to the doubling of the global yield average. Faba bean is cultivated primarily as a human food source in Asia and Africa and as animal feed/silage in the European region. Fresh faba bean seeds are used for a variety of savory dishes, and dry grain are used for paste and snacks, while sprouts for traditional food. The dried fresh stems and leaves of faba beans are good fodder for cattle, sheep and pigs. Faba bean flowers contain a large amount of L-DOPA and can be used to make flower tea. Faba bean is a macronutrient-rich legume known for its great potential for yield and a rich source of proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is one of the most important winter crops for human consumption in the Middle East. Faba bean is grown worldwide under different cropping systems such as a dry grain (pulse), green grains/pods, and a green-manure legume. Fava beans were first grown thousands of years ago in the Middle East and southwest Asia. They can grow in many different places around the world. They are a staple in cooking across cultures, from Chinese to South American dishes. Fava beans, or broad beans, are a type of bean that is eaten around the world. They are high in protein and other important nutrients. Eating fava beans can help with weight loss, aid in your body's immunity, and provide other health benefits. It is grown worldwide and popularly in Morocco, France, Italy, Germany and Egypt. Ethiopia and China are largest producers. In Indian subcontinent, it is important Rabi season crop cultivated popularly in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are major producers and minorly produced in localized areas of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Karnataka. In this review article on Origin, Domestication, Taxonomy, Botanical Description, Genetics and Cytogenetics, Genetic Diversity, Breeding, Uses, Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of Broad Bean are discussed.
