Phaseolus vulgaris
Origin: Shiraz, Iran
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~20
Germination tested 12/2024: 94%
Life cycle: Annual
We're thrilled to be offering these beautiful, delicious, large and rotund beans from Shiraz, Iran, for the first time. Grown for EFN by our friend Leila Rezvani, of Keshtyar Seed (a small diversified seed and vegetable farm in Chesterfield, Massachusetts), we were astounded by the yield Leila managed to get after growing just one row of these for the first time in 2024. Our original source for the beans was the USDA's National Plant Germplasm System, which they entered following their collection in Shiraz by a USDA Regional Pulse Improvement Project scientist called K.H. Evans in 1977, just two years prior to the Iranian Revolution (after which USDA scientists were expelled from the country).
According to Leila's father, these are classic "loobia chiti" beans, beloved among Iranians and a key ingredient in various soups, stews (like "Khorak-e"), and other dishes. Commonly translated as "pinto beans," which typically stand in for the genuine Iranian beans among diaspora communities, these beans are quite distinct from the average pinto beans. They are larger, rounder, and much more beautiful, with a vivid pink-purple dappling over a pinkish-cream base. The fat pods, produced in profusion, are also streaked with pink. We cooked up a pot of Leila's beans at Dusty's house — they managed to grow so many beans we actually felt comfortable eating some! — and they were fantastic. Rich, meaty, creamy, all at once.
We're excited to make these availabe to Iranian-Americans and anyone else interested in growing a truly extraordinary bean.
Also, big thanks to our friends Amanda Chin and Kyla Lang for helping us increase and maintain this variety before getting it into Leila's hands!
GROWING TIPS: Strong climber, so requires a solid trellis. Direct sow seeds an inch deep once soil begins to warm in spring.
