From Ancient to Heirloom — The History of the Humble Bean
Similarly pleasing to see and to taste, heirloom beans have a long and colorful past.
Living in the Desert Southwest, I’m pleased to grow and eat bean cultivars that the local indigenous people have consumed for thousands of years — much longer than most heirlooms. ‘Anasazi,’ ‘Four Corners Gold,’ and ‘Taos Red’ are a few of the beans with venerable roots that grace my plate.
Humans have domesticated beans at various times in various regions. Over millennia, growers have selected for large seeds, bushy growth habit, color (beans are very colorful!), hardiness to local growing conditions, disease resistance, ease of cooking, and good flavor. Let’s take a trip back in time to learn more about the colorful history of beans.
Early History
Cultivated beans have been found in the tombs of ancient Greeks and Egyptians. Domesticated fava beans (Vicia faba) were found in what is now northern Israel and were carbon-dated to about 10,000 years ago. Favas (not a true bean, but a legume) were a major staple of the Mediterranean diet and widely grown, even before grains. Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) and lentils (Lens culinaris) were also common crops in the ancient world. Through travel and trade, these beans gradually…
