Most of the winged bean plant is edible, including the shoots, leaves, flowers, tubers, pods and beans. The pods are larger than string beans and can be deep green, red, pink or purple with ruffled wings running their length. When cooked, the flavor is between that of a shell bean and a pod bean. Use in stir fry or fresh; they pair well with Asian flavors. The flowers, when cooked, taste like a mushroom.
