Pods

• In the legume family, seeds are produced in pods. Each pod contains multiple seeds, which are usually found lined up in a row when the pod is opened. In a few instances, such as with green beans and new garden peas, both the pod and the seeds within are edible.
  
  

Seeds or Beans

• A frequent occurrence is that the seed or the bean that is contained within the pod is edible. Most dry beans grow in this manner. Bean seeds that are found within an inedible pod include the lima bean, kidney bean, black bean, black-eyed pea and soy bean.
  
  

Seed Coat of Beans

• The bean seed often has a thin, sometimes translucent, seed coat that covers and protects the seed. That is why dry beans are soaked before they can be cooked, so that the small seed coat can be removed.
  
  

Two Halves of a Bean

• Dry beans can be easily split in two, especially with green split pea, which is named for this botanical trait that is found in all legumes. The two halves underscore the fact that the legume family (Fabaceae) is a member of the dicots, a large class of plants that includes many different families
  
  

Grinding the Bean Seed

• Some bean seeds, such as those of the Kentucky coffee tree, are not edible but yield a passable coffee substitute if they are dried and then ground to a powder. The coffee tree is not a legume because its beans (or seeds) grow inside a pod.