Does חומוס mean chickpeas or hummus?

חומוס can mean either chickpeas or prepared hummus. גרגרי חומוס clearly means chickpeas, while ממרח חומוס or סלט חומוס means the prepared spread.

Are red and orange lentils the same in Israel?

עדשים אדומות and עדשים כתומות commonly refer to the same quick-softening retail class. Split red or orange lentils lose their shape more readily than whole green or brown lentils.

Are Israeli green lentils Puy lentils?

A bag marked עדשים ירוקות is not automatically Puy. Lentille verte du Puy is a protected name tied to origin, so look for an origin or certification statement.

What is פול in English?

פּוֹל is fava bean in US English and broad bean in ordinary UK English. פּוֹל does not mean beans in general.

What is the difference between edamame and soybeans?

Edamame and mature soybeans are the same species at different harvest stages. אדממה or פולי סויה ירוקים is harvested green and immature, while פולי סויה or סויה יבשה is mature dry soybean.

Israeli Legumes: Hebrew Names in English

Chickpeas and Lentils

On the label or sign

גרגרי חומוס: chickpeas
חומוס יבש: dried chickpeas
חומוס ענק: giant size grade chickpeas

גרגרי חומוס, חומוס יבש, חִמְצָהChickpeas

gargerei khummus, khummus yavesh, khimtza

US English

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans

UK English

Chickpeas

What it is

גרגרי חומוס are chickpea seeds. חִמְצָה is the formal Hebrew term, while חומוס is the common name.

The difference

חומוס alone can mean chickpeas or prepared hummus. גרגרי or יבש makes the seed meaning clear.

Common mistake

Do not ask only for hummus when you want a dry bag; say גרגרי חומוס.

On the label or sign

ממרח חומוס: hummus spread
סלט חומוס: prepared hummus

חומוס, ממרח חומוס, סלט חומוסPrepared hummus

khummus, mimrakh khummus, salat khummus

US English

Hummus dip or spread

UK English

Hummus dip

What it is

ממרח חומוס and סלט חומוס name prepared chickpea and tahini food. Israeli shops may classify the prepared food as a salad.

The difference

סלט חומוס is not a loose chickpea salad. A refrigerated tub contains the prepared dip or spread.

Common mistake

Check for ממרח or סלט and a refrigerated tub instead of assuming every חומוס label means chickpea seeds.

On the label or sign

עדשים אדומות: red lentils
עדשים כתומות: orange lentils

עדשים אדומות / כתומותRed or orange lentils

adashim adumot / ktumot

US English

Red or orange lentils, usually split

UK English

Red or orange lentils, usually split

What it is

עדשים אדומות and עדשים כתומות commonly name the same quick-softening retail class. The orange interior is exposed when the darker seed coat is removed.

The difference

Split red or orange lentils lose their shape readily. Green and brown lentils hold their shape better.

Common mistake

Do not treat red and orange as guaranteed separate varieties or use split red lentils when a salad needs intact lentils.

On the label or sign

עדשים צהובות: yellow lentils

עדשים צהובותYellow lentils

adashim tsehubot

US English

Yellow lentils

UK English

Yellow lentils

What it is

עדשים צהובות are yellow lentils. Red and yellow lentil types are grouped as fast-softening pulses.

The difference

Yellow lentils and yellow peas can look alike when split. אפונה צהובה names yellow pea, not yellow lentil.

Common mistake

Read the family word and buy עדשים צהובות only when the recipe calls for yellow lentils.

On the label or sign

עדשים ירוקות: green lentils

עדשים ירוקותGreen lentils

adashim yerukot

US English

Green lentils

UK English

Green lentils

What it is

עדשים ירוקות are whole green lentils. Whole green lentils retain their shape better than split red or orange lentils.

The difference

The green color label does not prove French green or Puy origin. Lentille verte du Puy is a protected geographical name.

Common mistake

Do not call a generic bag of עדשים ירוקות Puy lentils unless the origin or certification says so.

On the label or sign

עדשים חומות: brown lentils

עדשים חומותBrown lentils

adashim khumot

US English

Brown lentils

UK English

Brown lentils

What it is

עדשים חומות are a whole, mild brown lentil category. Brown and green lentils can look similar.

The difference

Brown and green labels are not guaranteed synonyms, even when recipes treat the two colors loosely.

Common mistake

Follow the pack name when texture matters instead of identifying brown lentils by appearance alone.

On the label or sign

עדשים שחורות: black lentils
בלוגה: Beluga

עדשים שחורות, עדשים שחורות בלוגהBlack Beluga lentils

adashim shkhorot, adashim shkhorot beluga

US English

Black or Beluga lentils

UK English

Black or Beluga lentils

What it is

עדשים שחורות are small black lentils. עדשים שחורות בלוגה explicitly names the Beluga type.

The difference

Black lentils are not black beans. The family word עדשים identifies lentils.

Common mistake

Do not buy שעועית שחורה when a recipe calls for עדשים שחורות.

On the label or sign

עדשים מנומרות: speckled lentils
עדשים שחורות מנומרות: black speckled lentils

עדשים מנומרות, עדשים שחורות מנומרותSpeckled lentils

adashim menumarot

US English

Speckled or French-style green lentils

UK English

Speckled or French-style green lentils

What it is

עדשים מנומרות are broad, green-black mottled lentils with a firm texture. מנומרות means mottled or speckled.

The difference

Speckled lentils may resemble French green lentils. The Israeli color description does not establish Puy origin.

Common mistake

Use the name Puy only when the protected origin is declared.

Fava and Common Beans

On the label or sign

פול ירוק: green fava beans
מכיל פול: contains fava

פּוֹל ירוקFresh fava beans

pol yarok

US English

Fresh or frozen fava beans

UK English

Fresh or frozen broad beans

What it is

פּוֹל ירוק is the immature green seed of the fava plant. Fresh fava comes in thick, slightly furry green pods, while frozen fava comes as loose green kernels.

The difference

פּוֹל names fava or broad bean specifically. Packaged foods containing fava are the legume class with a specified G6PD warning under Israel's new labeling regime.

Common mistake

Do not read פּוֹל as a general word for beans or confuse פול ירוק with green beans.

On the label or sign

פול יבש: dried fava beans
פול קטן מצרי: small Egyptian-style fava beans
פול מדמס: ful medames

פול יבש, פול קטן מצרי, פול מדמסDried fava and ful

pol yavesh, pol katan mitzri, ful medames

US English

Dried fava beans or ful medames

UK English

Dried broad beans or ful medames

What it is

פול יבש is mature dried fava. פול קטן מצרי is the small dried fava used for Egyptian ful, and פול מדמס names the cooked dish.

The difference

The shorter historical phrase פול מצרי has also named cowpea. Modern fava packs are clearer when the label says פול קטן.

Common mistake

Do not translate dried פול as lima or butter bean; lima bean is שעועית בובס or שעועית לימה.

On the label or sign

שעועית לבנה: white beans
שעועית לבנה עדינה: small mild white beans

שעועית לבנה, שעועית לבנה עדינהWhite beans

she'uit levana, she'uit levana adina

US English

White beans; exact type depends on the pack

UK English

White or haricot beans; type depends on the pack

What it is

שעועית לבנה is a color category for dry common beans. שעועית לבנה עדינה is a smaller white bean sold for a mild taste and soft texture.

The difference

The Hebrew color label does not distinguish navy, great northern and cannellini. עדינה describes a smaller or milder product, not an official variety.

Common mistake

Match the size, shape, and any English label instead of translating every שעועית לבנה as cannellini or navy bean.

On the label or sign

שעועית בובס: lima or butter beans
שעועית לימה: lima beans

שעועית בובס, שעועית לימהLima or butter beans

she'uit bobs, she'uit lima

US English

Lima beans

UK English

Butter beans or lima beans

What it is

שעועית בובס and שעועית לימה are large, flat white lima beans. UK English commonly calls the dried form butter bean.

The difference

Large pale lima beans are not fava beans. Fava is פול.

Common mistake

Do not buy פול when a recipe calls for lima or butter beans; look for בובס or לימה.

On the label or sign

שעועית אדומה: red beans, usually red kidney beans

שעועית אדומהRed kidney beans

she'uit aduma

US English

Usually red kidney beans; verify the shape

UK English

Usually red kidney beans; verify the shape

What it is

שעועית אדומה commonly maps to red kidney beans in mainstream Israeli imports and recipes. Red bean remains a color label that can be used loosely.

The difference

Kidney beans are larger than adzuki beans. אזוקי identifies the small East Asian red bean.

Common mistake

Check for the kidney shape or an English label instead of assuming every red bean is interchangeable.

On the label or sign

שעועית צבעונית: colorful or mottled beans
שעועית מנומרת: mottled beans
ברבוניה מנומרת: mottled barbunia beans

שעועית צבעונית, שעועית מנומרת, ברבוניה מנומרתMottled beans

she'uit tziv'onit, she'uit menumeret, barbunia menumeret

US English

Mottled bean; verify the pack

UK English

Mottled bean; verify the pack

What it is

שעועית צבעונית and שעועית מנומרת are appearance labels for reddish or speckled beans. A pack may contain one mottled cultivar rather than a mixture.

The difference

The Hebrew appearance label does not identify one stable pinto, cranberry, or borlotti cultivar.

Common mistake

Read any English line and inspect the bean image instead of translating every mottled bag as pinto.

On the label or sign

שעועית שחורה: black beans

שעועית שחורהBlack beans

she'uit shkhora

US English

Black beans

UK English

Black beans

What it is

שעועית שחורה names small black common beans. Black beans are distinct from black lentils and black soybeans.

The difference

The family word שעועית identifies beans, while עדשים identifies lentils.

Common mistake

Do not buy עדשים שחורות when a recipe calls for black beans.

Mung, Adzuki, Pod Beans and Cowpea

On the label or sign

שעועית מש: mung beans
מש: mung
מאש: alternate spelling of mung

שעועית מַשׁ, מַשׁ, מאשMung beans

she'uit mash, mash

US English

Mung beans

UK English

Mung beans or green gram

What it is

מַשׁ names small green mung beans. מאש is another spelling found on Israeli shelves.

The difference

Mash is an Israeli or regional borrowing. Mung bean or green gram is the familiar English name.

Common mistake

Ask for mung beans in English and do not confuse the tiny round beans with green lentils.

On the label or sign

שעועית אזוקי: adzuki beans
אדוקי: aduki beans

שעועית אזוקי / אדוקיAdzuki beans

she'uit azuki / aduki

US English

Adzuki beans

UK English

Aduki or adzuki beans

What it is

שעועית אזוקי names a small East Asian red bean. אדוקי is an alternate shelf spelling.

The difference

Adzuki beans are distinct from the larger red kidney beans commonly sold as שעועית אדומה.

Common mistake

Look specifically for אזוקי or אדוקי instead of choosing a bag labeled only שעועית אדומה.

On the label or sign

שעועית ירוקה: green beans
שעועית צהובה: yellow or wax beans
שעועית צהובה מוקפאת: frozen wax beans

שעועית ירוקה, שעועית צהובהGreen and yellow pod beans

she'uit yeruka, she'uit tsehuba

US English

Green, string, snap, or yellow wax beans

UK English

Green, French, yellow, or wax beans

What it is

שעועית ירוקה is the immature edible green pod of a common bean. שעועית צהובה is the yellow-podded counterpart. Israeli health guidance groups the immature forms with vegetables rather than dry pulses.

The difference

Both Hebrew names describe pod vegetables, not colored dry beans. שעועית צהובה maps to wax beans in English.

Common mistake

Do not substitute pod beans for green lentils, yellow lentils, or yellow peas.

On the label or sign

לוביה יבשה: dried cowpeas
שעועית עין שחורה: black-eyed peas or beans

לוּבְיָה יבשה, שעועית לוביה, שעועית עין שחורהBlack-eyed peas

luvia yevesha, she'uit luvia, she'uit ayin shkhora

US English

Cowpeas or black-eyed peas

UK English

Black-eyed beans or cowpeas

What it is

לוּבְיָה יבשה is the mature seed of cowpea. The cream beans have a black eye.

The difference

The English word pea does not make cowpea a form of אפונה. שעועית עין שחורה also does not mean ordinary black bean.

Common mistake

Look for the cream bean with a black eye and the words לוביה or עין שחורה.

On the label or sign

לוביה ירוקה: green cowpea pods
לוביה טרייה: fresh cowpea pods

לוביה ירוקה / טרייהFresh cowpea pods

luvia yeruka / triya

US English

Fresh cowpea pods; sometimes yardlong-type pods

UK English

Fresh cowpea pods

What it is

לוביה ירוקה is the immature green pod of cowpea. Young pods can be cooked whole, while more mature pods can be shelled for the seeds.

The difference

Fresh loubia is a cowpea pod rather than an ordinary green bean. The pods are long, thin, and flexible.

Common mistake

Do not call every long green pod שעועית ירוקה; look for the name לוביה.

Peas, Soy and Lupin

On the label or sign

אפונה יבשה: dried peas
אפונה חצויה: split peas
אפונה צהובה: yellow peas

אפונה יבשה, אפונה ירוקה/צהובה יבשה, אפונה חצויהDried or split peas

afuna yevesha, afuna yeruka/tsehuba, afuna khatzuya

US English

Dried peas or split peas

UK English

Dried peas or split peas

What it is

אפונה יבשה is mature dried pea, whole or split, green or yellow. אפונה חצויה means split peas.

The difference

A yellow split pulse can be pea rather than lentil. The family word אפונה identifies pea, while עדשים identifies lentil.

Common mistake

Do not read אפונה צהובה as yellow lentils or expect sweet frozen peas from a bag marked יבשה.

On the label or sign

אפונה ירוקה: green peas
מוקפאת: frozen

אפונה ירוקהGreen peas

afuna yeruka

US English

Green peas or garden peas

UK English

Garden peas or green peas

What it is

אפונה ירוקה is immature green pea. Israeli health guidance groups green peas with vegetables rather than dried pulses.

The difference

Green peas are the bright vegetable sold fresh, frozen, or canned. Dried and split peas are mature seeds sold as אפונה יבשה or אפונה חצויה.

Common mistake

Check the form and packaging instead of assuming אפונה always means a split pea soup ingredient.

On the label or sign

פולי סויה: soybeans
סויה יבשה: dry soybeans

פולי סויה, סויה יבשהDry soybeans

polei soya, soya yevesha

US English

Soybeans

UK English

Soya beans

What it is

פולי סויה are mature dry soybeans. The mature seeds are round and beige or yellow.

The difference

Dry soybeans and edamame are the same species at different harvest stages. Edamame is harvested green and immature.

Common mistake

In פולי סויה, the modifier סויה controls the meaning, so do not read פולים as fava.

On the label or sign

אדממה: edamame
פולי סויה ירוקים: green soybeans

אדממה, פולי סויה ירוקיםEdamame

edamame, polei soya yerukim

US English

Edamame or green soybeans

UK English

Edamame or green soya beans

What it is

אדממה is immature green soybean, sold shelled or in fuzzy pods. The beans are eaten rather than the fibrous outer pod.

The difference

Edamame is soy at a green harvest stage, not a green pea.

Common mistake

Eat the beans inside the pod and do not substitute אפונה ירוקה when a recipe calls for edamame.

On the label or sign

תורמוס: lupin or lupini beans

תּוּרְמוּסLupini beans

turmus

US English

Lupini beans or lupin seeds

UK English

Lupin beans or lupin seeds

What it is

תּוּרְמוּס is lupin seed, commonly eaten after processing or brining. Bitter lupin can contain high quinolizidine alkaloids and requires effective debittering.

The difference

A general home method cannot guarantee removal of the alkaloids from bitter lupin. Buy a food product with preparation directions and follow them.

Common mistake

Do not treat raw dry lupin like an ordinary white bean or assume bitterness is only a flavor issue.

Recipe says	Buy in Israel	Keep in mind
Chickpeas	גרגרי חומוסgargerei khummus	The seeds, not prepared hummus
Red lentils	עדשים אדומות / כתומותadashim adumot / ktumot	Usually split and quick-softening
Green lentils	עדשים ירוקותadashim yerukot	Generic green is not automatically Puy
Fava beans	פולpol	Broad beans in UK English
Lima or butter beans	שעועית בובס / שעועית לימהshe'uit bobs / she'uit lima	Do not substitute fava
Mung beans	מש / מאשmash	Mash is the Israeli shelf name
Black-eyed peas	לוביה / שעועית עין שחורהluvia / she'uit ayin shkhora	Cowpea, not ordinary black bean
Split peas	אפונה חצויהafuna khatzuya	Green or yellow peas
Edamame	אדממה / פולי סויה ירוקיםedamame / polei soya yerukim	Immature green soybeans
Lupini beans	תורמוסturmus	Follow the product preparation directions

Mix-Ups to Avoid

Chickpeas and Lentils

גרגרי חומוס, חומוס יבש, חִמְצָהChickpeas

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

חומוס, ממרח חומוס, סלט חומוסPrepared hummus

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים אדומות / כתומותRed or orange lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים צהובותYellow lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים ירוקותGreen lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים חומותBrown lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים שחורות, עדשים שחורות בלוגהBlack Beluga lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

עדשים מנומרות, עדשים שחורות מנומרותSpeckled lentils

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

Fava and Common Beans

פּוֹל ירוקFresh fava beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

פול יבש, פול קטן מצרי, פול מדמסDried fava and ful

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית לבנה, שעועית לבנה עדינהWhite beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית בובס, שעועית לימהLima or butter beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית אדומהRed kidney beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית צבעונית, שעועית מנומרת, ברבוניה מנומרתMottled beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית שחורהBlack beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

Mung, Adzuki, Pod Beans and Cowpea

שעועית מַשׁ, מַשׁ, מאשMung beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית אזוקי / אדוקיAdzuki beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

שעועית ירוקה, שעועית צהובהGreen and yellow pod beans

What it is

The difference

Common mistake

לוּבְיָה יבשה, שעועית לוביה, שעועית עין שחורהBlack-eyed peas

What it is

The difference

Common mistake