Pigeon peas 'Maris Bead'
- Product number: 045430
- Origin: England
- Latin: Vicia faba ssp minor minor
Pigeon peas are ancient beans that were already being eaten in 6000 BC (who knows how long before that). So we could easily call them Adam's beans...! The vegetable was brought to our country by the Romans and featured on both human and animal menus throughout the Middle Ages. The Cruydt-Boek by Dodoens (1644) refers to them as “Kleyne Boonkens” or “Zeeuwsche Boonkens”.
This smallest member of the fava bean family is about the size of brown beans and fairly round in shape. This variety is light brown, but white, dark red, green and black varieties also exist. The taste is that of a refined fava bean, but due to its small size, the mouthfeel is unique. Many a modern fava bean is jealous of its aroma!
Sow them very early: February-March. They can withstand a few degrees of frost and, due to bird damage (pigeons love them), are best sown in trays or sown 5 cm deep. The harvest can take place fresh (a lot of work but very tasty) or dried.
In Groningen, these beans were formerly used to make the original "Mollebonen", nowadays larger fava beans or broad beans are used for this.
Names:
- Latin: Vicia faba ssp minor minor
- Dutch: Pigeon peas
- Also known as: Small Field Beans
- English: Tic Bean, Field Beans
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- Flower colour: Violet to deep purple, with pink, white and almost black accents. The flowers are also fragrant.
- Origin: England
- Average growth height: More than 120 cm
- Annual or perennial: Annual
- Attractive to insects:
- Winter hardy: Moderately frost-resistant
- Ease of cultivation: Easy
- Latin: Vicia faba ssp minor minor
- Dutch: Pigeon beans
- Also known as: Small Field Beans
- English: Tic Bean, Field Beans
