Black Turtle Bean or black bean, also known as Venezuelan bean or Spanish bean or Tampico bean, is a Mexican bean that is being increasingly used for making a wide variety of main course and accompaniment dishes. The bean is cooked by soaking it in water at room temperature for long hours, preferably overnight. The softened bean is boiled and then used in making different dishes. A lot of Mexican soups, stews and other accompaniment dishes are made with black turtle beans.