Legumes are essential to many types of diets, and while legume dishes are most commonly associated with local, traditional Spanish cuisine, you may have never thought that this precious ingredient is grown in Spain. In addition, high-quality legumes are produced and there are currently eight legumes with a protected geographical indication and four legumes with a protected designation of origin. We usually associate these quality indicators with luxury goods, but humble products like legumes also deserve this kind of distinction.
The objective of consuming local products can also be achieved by applying it to pulses. Not only will you get better results with your recipes, you’ll also be supporting local businesses. These are 11 legumes with quality assurance and Spanish labeling that are perfect for winter stews.
beans
Legumes are one of the legumes with the most variation in appearance. Painted white and available in various shapes and textures, large and small, there are a total of seven of them in our country with a quality seal and Spanish designation.
- Mongueta del Ganchetto: A medium-sized white variety native to Catalonia, grown in the regions of El Valles and El Maresme. They are easily identified by their flat, kidney-shaped shape, which ends in a hook-like shape at one end. It is characterized by a smooth, persistent flavor and high creaminess. Because the skin is thin, the texture is fine and soft, making it the perfect legume for stews and cold salads. On April 23, 2007, the Catalan government granted it a Protected Designation of Origin, and in 2012 the European Union protected its geographical location.
- Fesols de Santa Pau: Another Catalan bean, very different from Mongueta del Ganset. It is small and round in shape, and its skin is thin and shiny. When cooked, it is very fine-grained, less floury, and softer. This is a breed that was on the verge of extinction in the last third of the 20th century as milk and corn production took priority in areas where it was traditionally grown. In the early 1990s, the beans were rescued through the efforts of some Santa Pau farmers, and in 2015 Santa Pau Fesol was recognized as a PDO. It is a central part of a variety of traditional Catalan dishes, such as botifarra esparacada, which is made by splitting, or spreading, the botifarra.
- La Bañeza-León Bean: This is an umbrella term that includes different types of local beans (cinnamon, plancheta, kidney, pinto). It is cultivated in a total of 98 municipalities in the state of Leon, in the agricultural regions of Astorga, El Páramo, Esla Campos, La Bañesa, La Cabrera and Tierras de León, as well as in 20 municipalities in the Benavente Los Valles region of the neighboring department of Zamora.
- Beans from El Barco de Avila: You can find beans from El Barco de Avila without leaving Castilla y Leon. There are multiple varieties in this protected geographical indication (white bean, round white, rice, ironed, round purple, long purple, balco bean). The production area of these legumes coincides with the agricultural region called Barco de Avila Piedrahita, which also extends to the town of El Tejado in the province of Salamanca, which is adjacent to this region and has the same agro-climatic characteristics.
- Faba Asturiana: This may have one of the most famous appellations of origin of any legume, due to its elongated shape and milky white color. When you put it in your mouth, it doesn’t taste like flour or butter, making it the queen of spoon dishes.
- Faba de Lourenzá: This is a Galician variety of beans known as Faba Galica, which is characterized by its thin skin and ability to absorb water. When cooked, the grains are preserved whole and finished. It is traditionally prepared in fabada, a traditional Galician soup with clams, mussels and octopus.
- Anguiano beans: These beans are native to La Rioja. Among legumes, it is the most recent protected designation of origin since the Anguiano Bean Growers Association was founded in early 2013. It has a very bright red pinto color and its skin is relatively thin considering its color. When you put it in your mouth, it has a soft, buttery texture that feels very pleasant.
lentils
Lentils are a humble and versatile legume that can be easily incorporated into a variety of dishes. A variety of colors and shapes, this legume has one thing in common: a small, round shape. In Spain, two types of lentils are recognized for their quality:
- Tierra de Campos lentils: These legumes are brown and small, making them ideal for beginning cooks as they don’t need to be soaked before cooking. It is cultivated in parts of the four northwestern departments of Castile and León (Palencia, Valladolid, León, and Zamora).
- La Almuña lentils: Natural lentils from Castile and Leon that have a characteristic greenish hue before cooking. The beans do not fall apart or peel off after cooking, making them a very stable legume for cooking. It is produced in more than a dozen locations in Salamanca.
chickpeas
Unique and delicious, chickpeas are usually the biggest difference between varieties in size. Perfect for salads, stews, and even stir-fries. There are two types of chickpeas in our country that are recognized for their quality.
- Fuentesauco chickpeas: from Castile and Leon. It is characterized by its medium to large size, cream color, prominent curved bill, and medium-coarse skin. Once upon a time in the 16th century, Fuentesauco chickpeas received royal protection and were regularly sold at court.
- Escacena chickpeas: This Andalusian chickpea is grown in the municipalities of Escacena del Campo, Paterna del Campo, Manzanilla, Villalba del Alcor, La Palma del Condado, and Villarasa (all in the province of Huelva), as well as Castilla del Campo, Azunalcollar, Sanlúcar la Mayor, and Albaida del It is grown in the municipalities of Aljarafe and Olivares. (Province of Seville).
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