Tepary bean
Encyclopedia
Phaseolus acutifolius, the Tepary bean, is native to the southwestern
United States
and Mexico
and has been grown there by the native peoples since pre-Columbian times. It is more drought-resistant than the common bean
(Phaseolus vulgaris) and is grown in desert and semi-desert conditions from Arizona
through Mexico
to Costa Rica
. The water requirements are low and the crop will grow in areas where annual rainfall is less than 400 mm (16 inches). It has recently been introduced to Africa
n agriculture
.
Wild tepary beans are viny and climb desert shrubs but the cultivated types grow more like bush beans.
Other names for this native bean include Pawi, Pavi, Tepari, Escomite, Yori mui and Yori muni. The name tepary may derive from the Tohono O'odham
phrase t'pawi or "It's a bean".
Tepary beans are cooked like other dry beans after soaking. Some Native Americans toasted the dry beans, then ground them into a meal which was mixed with water before eating.
Recent studies from the United States and Mexico suggest that lectin
toxins and other compounds from tepary beans may be useful as chemotherapy for treating cancer. However, further research is needed.
It is an ingredient in the Indian snacks 'bhujia
' and Punjabi Tadka by Haldiram.
The tepary bean was a major food staple of Native American tribes in the Southwest United States. It was grown alongside squash and corn, which when eaten together provide sufficient nourishment thanks to the composition of an advanced protein. The act of growing these plants together was known as Three Sisters agriculture
.
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and has been grown there by the native peoples since pre-Columbian times. It is more drought-resistant than the common bean
Common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder...
(Phaseolus vulgaris) and is grown in desert and semi-desert conditions from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
through Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. The water requirements are low and the crop will grow in areas where annual rainfall is less than 400 mm (16 inches). It has recently been introduced to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
Wild tepary beans are viny and climb desert shrubs but the cultivated types grow more like bush beans.
Other names for this native bean include Pawi, Pavi, Tepari, Escomite, Yori mui and Yori muni. The name tepary may derive from the Tohono O'odham
Tohono O'odham
The Tohono O'odham are a group of Native American people who reside primarily in the Sonoran Desert of the southeastern Arizona and northwest Mexico...
phrase t'pawi or "It's a bean".
Tepary beans are cooked like other dry beans after soaking. Some Native Americans toasted the dry beans, then ground them into a meal which was mixed with water before eating.
Recent studies from the United States and Mexico suggest that lectin
Lectin
Lectins are sugar-binding proteins that are highly specific for their sugar moieties. They play a role in biological recognition phenomena involving cells and proteins. For example, some viruses use lectins to attach themselves to the cells of the host organism during infection...
toxins and other compounds from tepary beans may be useful as chemotherapy for treating cancer. However, further research is needed.
It is an ingredient in the Indian snacks 'bhujia
Bhujia
Bhaji is a spicy Indian snack that consists of a core food , similar to potato fritters, with several variants. It is usually used as a topping on various Indian meals but has become popular to eat alone as a snack...
' and Punjabi Tadka by Haldiram.
The tepary bean was a major food staple of Native American tribes in the Southwest United States. It was grown alongside squash and corn, which when eaten together provide sufficient nourishment thanks to the composition of an advanced protein. The act of growing these plants together was known as Three Sisters agriculture
Three Sisters (agriculture)
The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of various Native American groups in North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans ....
.
External links
- The Tepary Bean
- Bean, Tepary — Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray
- Papago (Tohono O'odham) Tepary Bean Soup
- NRCS: USDA Plants Profile Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray , var. acutifolius, var. latifolius Freeman
- Crop Wild Relatives Gap Analysis Portal reliable information source on where and what to conserve ex-situ, regarding Phaseolus genepool