Mountain Beans

Their ancestors arrived in Liguria in the 17th century from Spain, traveling through Provence, and found an ideal habitat in the Nervia Valley, the Oneglia Valley, and the Argentina Valley.

Here, on the dry terraces of the Imperia hinterland,

Natural selection has produced three different varieties of beans grown in three small towns: Badalucco, Conio, and Pigna. The most suitable areas—as the older residents well know—are at the highest elevations, where the soil is loose and well-drained, and the water—the key element—is spring water, calcareous and rich in mineral salts.

Planting, in rows, takes place in May; harvesting must wait until September, when the beans are dry.The beans from Badalucco, Conio, and Pigna are climbing varieties, but the differences between the three types—due to variations in soil, water, and microclimates—lie primarily in their shape and size.

The Conio bean is kidney-shaped and slightly larger (around 12 or 13 millimeters), while the other two are oval and smaller, particularly the one from Pigna. In Badalucco, the beans are called “rundin.” While they share a fleshy texture and a soft, delicate consistency, their subtle differences are more apparent in a side-by-side tasting than in a cooked dish. Excellent when dried, they are also very good fresh in winter cooking.

The best way to enjoy them

They are boiled and seasoned with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Preparation takes time: the traditional method calls for soaking them overnight. They are then boiled in water (35 minutes from the time the water begins to boil) with garlic, bay leaves, a few spoonfuls of oil, and salt added at the end. They are cooked to perfection when the seeds are soft but still firm and do not fall apart. The texture on the tongue should be uniform, as if there were no skin.

Traditional culinary practices include a variety of preparations, and every town has its own signature dish:

In Pigna, the signature dish is goat and beans; in Conio, it’s “Zemin” (a soup made with beans, vegetables, and meat); and in Badalucco, it’s “Friscioi” (fritters).

The harvest of the pods begins in mid-September and ends around mid-October. The dried product is available year-round.

 

(Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, a non-profit organization)