Petai Beans

Often called stinky beans, petai beans are a type of legume that grows throughout South and Southeast Asia. These beans are notorious for their strong, long-lasting odor that is said to be reminiscent of methane gas, sulfur, or rotten eggs, which is how they got their nickname.

They owe their pungent aroma to the high levels of amino acids contained in them which, when eliminated from the body, convert into sulfur-containing chemicals, often resulting in smelly urine. Although eaters may initially be put off by the beans' unpleasant odor, petai beans are known to pack a lot of flavor.

Commonly sold from street stalls, these smelly, bright green beans are prized for their distinctive nuttiness and are believed to offer a plethora of health benefits. Petai beans are incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed in various ways - raw, fried, roasted in their shell, or pickled - and they are often used to prepare sambal petai, a stir-fry with petai beans, curry paste, shrimp paste, chilis, and garlic.