The white pea, also referred to as the navy bean, fagioli bean, or pea bean, is a traditional ingredient for baked beans or soups. White peas are ideal for making Yankee dishes like baked beans, so sailors stationed abroad who yearned for traditional baked beans came to refer to the small to medium-sized white legumes as "navy beans." White peas are mild and creamy, and they take up to two hours to cook. Additionally, they are easily accessible in cans for quick but wholesome meals.