Basic cooking is a great way to de-stress, and preparing rice and beans is as basic as it gets. But what makes this humble dish a global staple, especially in the Americas and Africa, is its inherent nutritive value for its low cost. Just one cup of beans and rice provides 12 grams of complete protein, 10 grams of fiber and loads of essential vitamins and minerals recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including B-6, vitamin E, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Although the domestication of rice and beans happened thousands of years ago in China, Peru and Mexico, the pairing has been rooted in Latin and African cultures for centuries. Regional dishes developed over time, and in some cases came to represent the country from which they came.