The Winged Bean is what I would consider to be an essential staple of every climate short of those near the arctic regions. This is one of the most protein-packed plants in the entire world. Winged bean is a vigorous vining legume with broad leaves, pale blue flowers, and distinctive four-winged bean pods. As the bean sprouts and begins to trellis along nearby posts, trees, or shrubs, it provides an abundance of food from every part of the plant. The cooked leaves are similar to spinach in flavor and yet they alone contain more iron, calcium, and copper than any traditional spinach. The pods are edible like green beans, the roots can be eaten in any way you would eat a potato, and the seeds can be dried, stored, and turned into flours or boiled and used in cooking.