Polizzi Generosa Badda Bean

This medium-small, round, two-color bean has been grown in the vegetable gardens of Polizzi Generosa, in the Madonie Park, for two centuries. The bean’s name, Badda, comes from the dialect word for ball. The ivory beans are spotted with blotches, either pinkish-orange or dark-purple, almost black. The harvest of the green pods, which can be eaten fresh, starts in August, about 60 days after sowing, and depending on the altitude can continue into November. Beans for drying are picked in October and November, before the pods open to let the seeds fall. A flavorful bean, with herbaceous, even briny notes, it has a slight astringency, with hints of chestnut and almond in the finish.

Season

Harvested from August to November and the dried beans can be found year-round.