| Phaseolus acutifolius | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Tribe: | Phaseoleae |
| Genus: | Phaseolus |
| Species: | P. acutifolius |
| Binomial name | |
| Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray |
|
Phaseolus acutifolius, the Tepary bean, is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico and has been grown there by the native peoples since pre-Columbian times. It is more drought-resistant than the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and is grown in desert and semi-desert conditions from Arizona through Mexico to Costa Rica. The water requirements are low and the crop will grow in areas where annual rainfall is less than 400 mm (16 inches). It has recently been introduced to African agriculture.
Wild tepary beans are viny and climb desert shrubs but the cultivated types grow more like bush beans.
Other names for this native bean include Pawi, Pavi, Tepari, Escomite, Yori mui and Yori muni. The name tepary may derive from the Tohono O'odham phrase t'pawi or "It's a bean".
Tepary beans are cooked like other dry beans after soaking. Some Native Americans toasted the dry beans, then ground them into a meal which was mixed with water before eating.
Recent studies from the United States and Mexico suggest that lectin toxins and other compounds from tepary beans may be useful as chemotherapy for treating cancer. However, further research is needed.
It is an ingredient in the Indian snacks 'bhujia' and Punjabi Tadka by Haldiram.
The tepary bean was a major food staple of Native American tribes in the Southwest United States. It was grown alongside squash and corn, which when eaten together provide sufficient nourishment thanks to the composition of an advanced protein. The act of growing these plants together was known as Three Sisters agriculture.