Butter beans versus lima beans. What’s the difference? Other than what they are called and sometimes their color, butter beans and lima beans come from the exact same plant, Phaseoius Lunatus. These legumes trace their origin to ancient Peru where they were cultivated long before corn. Spanish exporters gave them the name Lima after their country’s capital. In this country the beans are most commonly called lima beans. However, the name depends on the region. In the South they are almost exclusively called butter beans, for their rich starchy and buttery texture. Some regions call smaller beans baby limas and reserve the name butter beans for the larger, mature and paler yellow/white variety. When purchasing them at a supermarket, you will usually find them labeled as Large Lima Beans or Baby Lima Beans in the canned, frozen or dry bean aisles. Look at the difference this way. Butter beans are young, freshly picked, and harvested early. The skins are thin, taking a bright pale green hu...