BEANS

Beans are native to Central and South America and had already been cultivated by the Incas 7,000 years ago. Together with the discovery of America, the cultivation of beans began in Europe and later in other parts of the world.

Beans are a widely used legume. They can be used to prepare salads, soups, stews and patties, they can be roasted or used to prepare baked beans (“prebranec”) and other dishes.

Due to their mild flavour and creamy texture, beans are also used for making desserts.

Beans have long been a traditional ingredient of the Slovenian and Balkan cuisine and are almost indispensable in Mexican dishes and a popular choice among vegetarians and vegans.

Myanmar, India and Brazil are the largest bean growers in the world.

There are many varieties of this legume with hundreds of indigenous Slovenian varieties alone. Beans do not tolerate heat and drought and need warm and moist conditions to grow.

Beans also appear in the famous fairytale “Jack and the Beanstalk” by the Grimm Brothers.

In Nicaragua, a traditional wedding gift is a bowl of beans, which is said to bring good fortune to the newly-weeds.

In Ancient Greece, beans played an important part in the selection of lower officials – one white and a number of black beans were put in a box, and the person who drew the white bean, was appointed to the post.