SC - Fava beans?? (and thanks)

[david friedman]

In a message dated 12/5/98 4:12:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,
TerryD at Health.State.OK.US writes:

<< Cowpeas are Vigna unguiculata and are of Old World origin.
 
 Bear >>

Correct. The Chinese yard long bean is also a Vigna. The unique thing about
CYL bean is that we have what is apparently an very close to life-like
illumination of it in a manuscript dating before discovery of the New World
Using that illumination as a reference point I planted these beans in my
garden this year. They work in all the period recipes we have for beans that
do not specify fava specifically. Oh, one other interesting thing about them
is that they come from the area trhat most of the Oriental spices (e.g.
cinnamon, etc. come from and the dried bean looks like a miniature red kidney
bean which are mentioned in period sources, IIRC.

Mind you, I'm not syaing that these were known in Europe but all the
circumstantial evidence adds up to the probability that they were known. If
they were known it would explain a lot about why Europeans accepted Phaseolus
beans so extraordinarily quickly. CYL beans a long and green, have kidney
shaped beans and most importantly they taste like Phaseolus beans in both the
green state and mature dried form. 

Considering that CYK beans yield sporadically and present their harvest over a
long period of time, it is a small step to realize that they would have been
supplanted almost immediately by newly discovered beans from the New World
that had a flavor almost exact flavor, superior yield, grew rapidly and
enjoyed a relatively short total harvest season. 

All of this does not add up to the fact that they were known but the evidence
available adds up to a likely possiblility.

Ras
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