All Hail the Bean
By Kymisha Montgomery, CGC Urban Agriculture Coordinator
My affinity for beans has always been pretty high. When my father whipped out the big pot and all of his ingredients to make the most deliciously slow-simmering savory goodness, I knew I was in for a treat. I just had to wait a few hours while it rumbled in the pot and let the aroma tease me as it flowed through the house. The first telltale sign was the bowl that sat on the counter filled with water and dry beans, allowing them to get soft so that they were quicker to cook and digest. I didn’t quite understand the reasoning behind this, but as I grew older, I followed tradition.
For most food staples, there are stories and histories behind them, and beans are no exception. Histories of enslaved people saving seeds in their hair to hold on to a connection to their homeland. Histories of the Cherokee people carrying seeds in their pockets as they were marched from the Carolinas to Oklahoma during the Trail of Tears. The indigenous people of North and South America have a history with beans dating back 5,000 years and even used beans as a form of currency. Having a pocket full of beans was common, as they were used as payment for food, clothes, taxes, gifts and offerings to the gods.
There are more recent stories of the mountainous Appalachian people saving bean seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation and become family heirlooms. A few of the varieties from these eras are still around today, packed with family ties and sentimental value. It’s interesting to note that some varieties of bean seeds were specific to a region or family, which is reflected in the name.
Names may include how it grows, what it looks like, where it comes from and who the grower is.
The Lazy Wife Greasy Pole Bean from Madison County, North Carolina, is a heavy-yielding heirloom pole bean known for its hairless pods that grow in clusters, making them easier to pick. Greasy beans get their name from their smooth pods that appear to be “greasy” before they’re cooked. Often eaten with both the pod and the seed, they provide more nutrition than a dried bean or a typical green bean.
Deep red in color, the Pete Ingram’s Fall Bean has all of the information you need about it right there in the name. Cultivated by the Knott County, Kentucky, native, these beans have been grown for a fall harvest for generations. They’re a pole bean that’s good to cook using the same recipes as a dry bean.
Hank’s X-tra Special Baking Bean is said to be a New York treasure! Until 2005, this bean was simply a Ghent, New York, memory. When Hank’s daughter found his stash of dried beans after his passing, she donated them to the Hudson Valley Seed Library. It’s a white bean with tender insides that keep its structural integrity, which makes it great for baking.
The four corners region of the United States—Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico—are the namesake for the Four Corners Golden Bean. It’s a is a shiny, golden amber bean that retains its color and elongated oval shape when cooked. It was first used by the Zuni people after a traditional Kachina dance. These beans pair well with Southwestern dishes and are known for their ability to absorb the spicy flavors from the area’s chilies. According to historians, the bean was planted as an original crop of the “Three Sisters” companion planting technique.
It’s safe to say that foods passed down from generation to generation come not only with robust flavor, but also robust stories and histories. They have a particular appeal that draws you closer and keeps you yearning for another cup, bowl or seat at the table.