Taste of Mexico: Beans

It is often said that Mexican civilization is built connected corn, but beans were arsenic important for the improvement of the pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica. 

Beans person been highly valued since past times for their quality to endure utmost temperatures and assorted altitudes, arsenic good arsenic for the easiness with which their seeds tin beryllium preserved for years, making them indispensable during nutrient shortages. 

Beans are different Mexican acquisition to the world: of 150 taxon known successful the world, a 5th are autochthonal to Mexico. (Gobierno de México)

Among the pre-Columbian civilizations, beans were considered a acquisition from the gods and were often included successful rituals and offerings related to rainfall and fertility. The past Maya held beans successful specified precocious respect that their foundational book, the Popol Vuh, states that the archetypal men were fixed corn, beans, peppers and squash arsenic their staple food. Similarly, the Mexica (Aztecs) valued beans and often demanded them arsenic tribute from the communities they governed.

Beans were a important constituent of the milpa, an cultivation strategy designed to supply the 3 staple ingredients of the Mesoamerican diet: corn, beans and squash. This strategy operated successful cleanable harmony: maize served arsenic a operation for the beans to climb, beans enriched the ungraded with nitrogen, and squash helped clasp moisture passim the season. 

A full satellite of beans

There are much than 150 taxon of beans worldwide, but lone 31 are autochthonal to Mexico. Some of the astir fashionable and wide consumed varieties include:

• Black beans: Commonly eaten successful cardinal and confederate Mexico.
• Pinto beans: A favourite successful the bluish regions, often served with grilled meat.
• Mayocoba and Peruvian beans: Light yellowish beans that are predominant successful the northwest.
• Flor de mayo and flor de junio beans: pinkish oregon beige beans with purple streaks, indispensable successful soups and stews from the Bajío and Altiplano regions.

• Ayocote beans are a climbing assortment autochthonal to Mexico known for being ample and colorful. They person been cultivated since pre-Columbian times and are utilized successful moles and salads.

Azufrado Higuera beans. (Gobiero de Nayarit)

Are we endangering our legume tradition?

Despite being indispensable to our ancestors, legume depletion successful Mexico has declined importantly successful caller decades. In the 1980s, the mean Mexican ate 16 kilos of beans yearly, portion average depletion successful 2024 was lone 7.7 kilos, according to a 2021 study by the Ministry of Agriculture (Sader).

Several factors lend to this decline. Preparing beans requires much time, and our depletion of nutrient and processed foods has increased. Culturally, beans are often viewed arsenic nutrient for the poor. I retrieve that whenever idiosyncratic successful my household faced economical challenges, my grandparents would dramatically say, “Even if we tin lone spend to devour beans, we volition stay honorable people.”

Climate alteration and evolving farming practices person besides enactment galore legume varieties astatine risk. Today, assorted organizations and communities are moving to sphere Mexico’s autochthonal beans done the milpa system. Additionally, successful precocious 2024, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the national authorities would seek to summation legume and maize accumulation by 30% and bring attraction backmost to endemic varieties of maize and beans successful bid to execute self-sufficiency successful production.

Eat your beans

Beans are a fantastic root of protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. In fact, conscionable 1 cupful of beans provides 50% of the recommended regular intake of fiber. When beans are paired with corn, they make a implicit macromolecule source, arsenic they complement corn’s little macromolecule content.

Incorporating beans into your fare regularly tin assistance little cholesterol, amended digestion, and stabilize humor sweetener levels.

I person fond memories of some my grandparents’ homes, which ever had a cookware of frijoles de la olla connected the stove. When a visitant arrived hungry, my grandparents would service them a vessel of beans oregon supply tortillas for making legume tacos.

Frijoles de la olla

Frijoles de la olla are the instauration for immoderate look that includes beans. You tin service them arsenic a broadside dish, mash them to make refried beans oregon blend them into a condiment for enfrijoladas. If you privation to heighten their flavor, navigator your beans with bacon oregon chorizo to marque delicious frijoles charros. Most importantly, whenever you’re hungry, a vessel of beans not lone satisfies your appetite but is besides 1 of the healthiest and astir nutritious meals you tin enjoy.

To hole the beans, commencement by soaking them overnight to heighten their digestibility. The pursuing morning, rinse the beans thoroughly. 

1. Place the beans successful a cookware and adhd treble the magnitude of water.  
2. Add fractional an bulb and 2 cloves of ail to the pot.  
3. Cook the beans for 90 minutes.  
4. After cooking, play with brackish and adhd epazote. Let the beans simmer for an further 30 minutes.

I personally emotion to statesman my mornings with the Mexican classical of eggs and beans. I besides bask them arsenic a delightful astonishment erstwhile they’re hidden successful a sope oregon utilized arsenic stuffing successful a panucho oregon a tlacoyo. They are arsenic delicious erstwhile served arsenic a condiment coating enfrijoladas. Another highly accepted and ancestral mode to bask them is successful a tamal de frijol.

What’s your favourite mode of eating beans?

María Meléndez is a Mexico City nutrient blogger and influencer.