Roga Green Bean

In the Trebinje area, the green bean called “roga”, meaning horn because of its shape, was a basic food for the local population.
It was traditionally grown around the city of Trebinje, but spread out to surrounding areas.
The green “roga” bean requires a great deal of care on the part of farmers, especially in arranging the plants. The plant has average sized roots that grow to 30 centimetres underground and need constant watering. It grows best in earth rich in organic substances and, if it has adequate support, can reach three metres in height. The plant has branches similar to the grapevines that climb, necessitating several supports. These supports, often wooden stakes or pipes, are set in the ground and affixed to the plant so as to create a structure that can guarantee shade and good ventilation. To balance the weight, farmers often tied bags full of other greens to the stakes.
The roga green bean pod grows to almost 20 centimetres long, and there is a string in the middle that keeps the different parts of the raw fibre together, which during cooking would otherwise separate. They are harvested by hand in the summer.
The bean adapts to this typically karstic area, which is very hot and dry. It is mostly grown for family consumption, but the roga green bean can be found in local markets. It is mostly eaten in meat stews, in soups or in salads.
Today there are few farmers who conserve this variety’s seeds; over the years it was abandoned because it requires considerable manual labour for little yield.