regular can of cooked foul medamus or about 1½ cups of fresh cooked beans

Foul medames (also spelled ful medames or fuul) are small brown or reddish-brown dried beans, botanically classified as Vicia faba var. minor, native to the Middle East and North Africa. The beans are characterized by their soft, creamy texture when cooked and mild, slightly earthy flavor. The ingredient takes its name from the Arabic word "ful" meaning "beans," with "medames" referring to a clay pot traditionally used for slow-cooking them. Fresh cooked beans or canned preparations both retain the tender interior and thin skin that distinguishes foul medames from larger fava beans (Vicia faba).

Foul medames is a staple protein across the Levantine, North African, and Egyptian cuisines, most famously served as foul medames—a breakfast or light meal dish where the beans are mashed and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and spices. The cooked beans are also incorporated into soups, stews, and grain bowls, or served whole as part of mezze platters. The creamy consistency when mashed makes them suitable for bean pastes and spreads. In both fresh and canned forms, foul medames is economical and nutritionally complete, often paired with bread, feta cheese, or hard-boiled eggs to create a balanced meal.