ANASAZI BEANS!!!
An awful week was brightened a bit today by nothing but a simple bag of beans! Oh, but this simple bag of beans brought such amazement and beauty. I had never heard of or seen these Anasazi beans before today, when a sweet old German lady friend of mine offered them to me. Seriously stunned by their beauty, I could not resist. 'Anasazi', hmmm....who knew!?!?! A large ziploc bag full of these beans are so pretty, I immediately retrieved a jar (from my new 'should have some of these on hand' collection) and filled it to the brim. I sat and looked at these beans for quite sometime. Stunning, truly stunning. Then the research........what are these tiny objects of grandeur? what do i do with them? It's interesting to note that i found they have 75% less 'gas' creating carbohydrates than pinto beans, and their origin....just as intriguing.
The Anasazi were Indians who lived in the four corners area (now Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico) dating back to 130 A.D. The are best identified with their substantial architectural achievements known today as "cliff dwellings". Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep, Canyon de Chelly and many other dwelling that dot the arid countryside, represent these structures. "Anasazi" is a Navajo word perhaps best translated as "the ancient ones".Anasazi Beans were one of the few crops cultivated by the Anasazi. They were found in the ruins by settlers to the four corners area in the early 1800's. Presently they are grown at 7,000 ft. elevation on the same land the Anasazi inhabited. Anasazi Beans are considered an unusually tasty baking bean, very scrumptious with ham and flavorful in Mexican dishes. This sweeter and mealier bean will allow many culinary delights! Oh boy, what I can do with this bean sounds beyond scrumptious! I will, however, leave my jar filled with these tiny little beauties in my cupboard, because they make me smile everytime I open those doors and see them dancing right back at me! the beans in the bag?!?!, look out! |
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