Episode 55 18th Century Legumes - Creating the American Bean

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Listen to "055 18th Century Legumes - Creating the American Bean" on Spreaker.

Link to the Episode:

this is what the unripe pods of just about every
 Phaseolus vulgaris
or American (North & South) bean looks like.
And yet - in America we regularly call them
"French beans" or "haricot vert"
which is French for green bean


The most American bean, and the French grabbed the naming rights.  They’ve been pressing us to appreciate the baby vegetable since the 1780’s (F.P. La Varenne) – and we just thought baby vegetables were a 1980’s introduction.

 





So work this through with me.  So we sell, in our freezer cases, green beans that are cut short and split - or "frenched" to imitate the tiny "filet beans" served in fancy places that harvest baby vegetables.


So while French Toast - is named after a Mr. Joseph French who was advertising his version of Pain Perdu or Eggy Bread or Custard Bread etc.  But French Fries refers to the potatoes being cut thin - like French beans.  Instead of those. big English chips of Irish potatoes.  It's all very silly.  But also very embedded.


The Boston Classic - 


Overnight Baked beans – really an underrated classic that could stand to get more plate time.  It wasn’t so good for the Instagram values– maybe it’ll get a new life on TikTok?

Anyway - the stoneware pot that was used to cook beans in a crock with molasses and salt pork - using the stored heat of the wood fired ovens was sturdy and not particularly glamourous.


BUT - for those used in communal oven situations, having your name on the pot was important.





 



Hands down the most fascinating part here - kitschy tourist stuff has 

been made bearing the "Boston Baked Beans"

phrase since the late 19th century.



Bean Flowers – I mean they are fascinating

This one is from Bartram's Garden - can't get away from this family! 



And our man before his time - Samuel Bowen, introducing soy beans to the US/British Colonies in 1765.
Every farmer recognized them as a "vetch" a class of legumes that make good animal fodder.  And you can find a version in just about every yard and field in the US.  Once you know what to look for, you'll see them everywhere.




Soy Bean
common weed "vetch"

                        



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