Also called “cranberry bean”, Borlotti bean is a medium to large tan or hazelnut-colored bean splashed or streaked with red, magenta or black.
The borlotti bean is a variety of the cranberry bean bred in Italy to have a thicker skin. It is used in Italian, Portuguese, Turkish and Greek cuisine. The cranberry bean looks similar to the pinto bean, but cranberry beans are larger and have big maroon specks on a creamy white background, more like Great Northern beans. After cooking, however, the specks vanish and the beans take on a more even, darker color.