|
| |
The
History of Beans
Dry
beans are a legume and belong to the Fabaceae or Leguminosae
family. Legumes are second only to grasses in their importance
to our development as human beings. Every major civilization
in our planet's history has been based on a legume of
some type as well as a cereal grain.
Most
experts agree that the common bean (kidney beans, black
beans, great northern beans, navy beans and others) was
first domesticated more than 7,000 years ago in two centers
of origin - Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) and
the Andean region. Migrations over the bearing straight
and travels by European and other explorers have spread
these different varieties of beans throughout the world.
Throughout
history, beans have been used in a variety of ways. The
Moche, a pre-Inca civilization in Peru, were known to
print symbols on beans as an early form of written communication
and record keeping. The ancient Egyptians worshipped beans
and considered them an emblem of life. The Egyptians would
often place beans in the tombs of Pharaohs for the afterlife
and even constructed temples to honor the bean itself.
The
Greeks and Romans used beans to cast their votes when
deliberating trial verdicts. The Greeks would also hold
"bean feasts" to honor the sun god Apollo -
responsible for ripening the offerings of the Earth. In
Europe, consumption spread throughout the 17th century,
making bean soup and bread the universal diet among the
peasant class. Over time, people have grown complex mixtures
of bean types as a hedge against drought, disease, and
pest attacks. This process has produced an almost limitless
genetic array of beans with a wide variety of colors,
textures, and sizes to meet the growing conditions and
taste preferences of many different world regions.
Here
in the United States, the common bean dominates the scene.
Introduced to the early Pilgrims by Native American Indians,
the dry bean industry didn't begin its "boom"
until the 1880's. Michigan was the center of bean growing,
and the crop soon attracted growers in Idaho, Colorado,
Nebraska, Montana, and Wyoming. Dry bean production grew
to meet increased demand during World War II as they became
a staple in the C-ration used by American servicemen around
the world. The demand held steady after the War as American
food relief efforts improved. Today, the common bean is
a centerpiece for the diet of more than 300 million of
the world's people. The global harvest of 18 million tons
annually has an estimated value of over $11 billion (US). |
|
|
|
