Dragon’s tongue beans are a tasty and versatile legume that can be used as snap beans or shell beans. They have a delicate, grainy flavor and are easy to prepare. They were first bred in the Netherlands and can be grown in a sunny spot with lots of compost and mulch. Dried beans can be used in a variety of dishes and should be stored in a cool, dry place.
A dragon’s tongue bean is a tasty, juicy bean that can be harvested and used like a snap bean or allowed to mature into a shell bean. Either way, the beans have a delicate, grainy flavor that some consumers really like. When fresh and in season, dragon’s tongue beans can sometimes be found in the produce section of a market, or through a greengrocer or farmers’ market. Dried beans are available all year round along with other dried legumes such as lentils.
When used as a mung bean like green beans, dragon’s tongue bean can be used in a wide variety of dishes. It is usually lightly blanched or sautéed to preserve the crisp, fresh flavor. Even the beans look somewhat unusual, with a white to creamy yellow background mottled with rich purple stripes and blotches. Once cooked, the purple spots on the dragon’s tongue bean tend to disappear. Because dragon’s tongue beans are stringless, they’re very easy to prepare, requiring only a quick wash and coating before using.
Dried beans can be used like other beans in soups, burritos, and other dishes, either paired with other beans or eaten on their own. They should be stored in a cool, dry place until ready to use, and generally keep for up to a year. Just like other beans, they need to be rinsed before use to remove debris, and soaking cuts down on cooking times considerably.
The dragon’s tongue bean was first bred in the Netherlands, when farmers began experimenting with bean varieties in search of a sweet, waxy bean. Kidney beans take about two months to mature, while kidney beans need an extra month or two to fully develop and dry on the vine. People who want to grow dragon’s tongue beans should plan to find a sunny spot in the garden and work the soil with lots of compost and mulch to make it congenial for beans. Space the plants well apart so they have room to grow and keep them moist but not waterlogged.
Kidney beans can be harvested when they get close to a hand’s length and the beans can simply be left to dry on the vine before harvesting. With a large plot of Dragon Tongue Beans, you can enjoy the sweet dry beans in the summer months, while reserving some pods to allow for dry beans to develop. Either way, beans are excellent nitrogen fixers and will help repair the soil after you plant a challenging crop. When all of the crop has been harvested, mulch the dragon’s tongue bean plants back into the soil to prepare it for the next crop.
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