Who were the first people to eat beans?

The first people known to eat beans were likely ancient Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Olmecs and later the Maya and Aztecs, who domesticated various types of beans, including black and pinto beans, around 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. Additionally, ancient peoples in the Andes region of South America also cultivated legumes like kidney beans. Beans became a staple food due to their high protein content and ability to enrich soil with nitrogen.