Le Legume Issue 3: Spring/Summer 2026

The stories in this issue are dedicated to the unexpected or less commonly known uses of beans that represent cultural traditions, personal connections with food, and even innovation. Throughout these pages, you’ll find stories that underscore the marvelous capacity of legumes as they push the boundaries of their reputation as a kitchen mainstay.

What's inside

The beany creations featured in this zine show that beans serve as a portal to broader histories and customs behind the dishes and beverages we love — and even some we may have never heard of. My hope is that Issue 3 helps you discover something about beans that amazes you or impresses you. And that it inspires you to, of course, eat — or drink — more beans.

The most important beans of the day. Three classic bean-based breakfast dishes from around the world and what the legumes bring to the table.

Tea time with a side of beans. How lei cha, an ancient Chinese tea, blends tea leaves with a mixture of nuts, seeds, fresh herbs and, in some instances, beans and legumes in a longstanding tradition of consuming tea as sustenance.

Exploring Brazil through beans. A glimpse at regional Brazilian cuisine through a photo essay of every bean dish I ate on a recent trip to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Bean bevvy boost. The story and recipe behind a D.C. bar's sour-style cocktail, which uses chickpea aquafaba to give the drink a cloud-like texture.

Brewing beans. How brewers in Canada’s agricultural province of Saskatchewan are using legumes to make unique beers.