Know your Nuña bean
Know your Nuña bean - Introduction
The nuña bean (pronounced noonya) is an Andean subspecies, Phaseolus vulgaris subsp. nunas, formerly Phaseolus vulgaris (Nuñas Group).
The nuña bean has round, multicoloured seeds that resemble pigeon eggs.
When cooked on high heat, the bean explodes, exposing the inner part, in the manner of popcorn and other puffed grains.
The nuña bean is a thick-skinned variety of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, and is grown in the high Andes at 2-3,000 metres above sea level.
Found at pre-Inca archaeological sites, the bean is a popular staple in many areas of Ecuador and Peru.
Know your Nuña bean - Varieties
Over the centuries, at least 33 varieties of nuña bean have been developed.
They come in several colours; especially popular are the grey and white speckled (nuña azul) and light red (nuña mani) varieties.
There is also a white nuña bean found at Cajabamba called the pigeon's egg, or huevo de paloma, which is unrivalled in popping, taste and crunchiness.
There are numerous nuña varieties available in the highlands of Peru and in similar locales near the equator.
Over the years, about 50 varieties have been collected and are held in various seed trusts around the world. Quite a few of these are held in restricted trusts that do not permit patenting of their germplasm.
Know your Nuña bean - Cultivation
Nuña beans are native pole beans from South America.
They are day length sensitive requiring 12 hours of light per day to produce a crop.
Nuña beans are unique in "popping" when heated either in a hot air popper or in a pan with a bit of oil.
They pop vigorously similar to popcorn but with only 2x to 4x expansion in volume compared to popcorn with 25x to 40x expansion.
They are not adapted to temperate climes. The bean is susceptible to both frost and high temperatures.
It needs abundant moisture, short day lengths and approximately 200 days to crop.
Because of these restrictive cultural requirements, production of nuña beans outside highland tropical areas has not been conducted successfully on a large scale.
Know your Nuña bean - Cuisine
The ease with which the beans are cooked may, in part, explain their popularity. At the altitudes where nuña beans are cultivated, water boils at a temperature closer to 90 than 100 degrees Celcius. This makes cooking with boiling water a slow process.
Nuña beans, however, are not boiled; they are heated in a thin layer of oil for 2-4 minutes, which causes the bean to "pop."
The exploded beans have a flavour reminiscent of peanuts and a consistency much like popcorn.
