Stink Beans or Sator Beans

Sator Beans

“Stink beans” or “Sator beans” are the seeds of the fruits of a tree with the scientific name Parkia Speciosa. These trees are widespread in Southeast Asia, but also in India. The fruits are not particularly well-known in Western countries, which is why they are rather rare even in well-stocked Asian supermarkets. However, the peeled beans can occasionally be found in the fresh produce section.

The stink beans have a unique, very intense taste and smell that is vaguely reminiscent of garlic, which has earned them the strange name “stink bean”.

Other names include “twisted cluster bean”, “petai bean”, or “bitter bean”. In Thailand they are called “Sator” ( สะตอ ). They are found mainly in the south of the country, where they are used as a vegetable in various dishes.

Usage

Whole Fruits

If you do find the whole fruits, you need to be aware that after removing the beans from the thick shell of the fruit, they are still surrounded by a waxy membrane. You should definitely remove this as well, as it is very bitter.

Frozen Sator Beans

Occasionally you can also find frozen Sator beans in the freezer section of well-stocked Asian supermarkets, which are already peeled.