Ayas Barbunyasi

Turkish Beans

Although common bean is native to Central and South America, since it was introduced to Turkey a few hundred years ago, it became a traditional part of the cuisine. Today there are many Turkish beans which originated in home gardens and regionally stewarded for generations.

Some of the most common ways of use of beans in Turkish cuisine can be listed as:

  • Stews
  • Olive-oil based recipes
  • Frying
  • Pickling

In our catalog you will find some of Turkey’s heirloom beans. We will also feature more modern beans which were bred in the 20th century for stringless pods, flavor and yield.

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    Ayşe Kadın (3)

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    Barbunya (4)

    While barbunya is the Turkish word for red mullet, it is also the name of a specific bean category in Turkey. We are not sure  why the same word for the bean is also used but we speculate that the bean pods (or the dry seeds or both pods and seeds for certain varieties) in this category resemble the red streaks on the red mullet's skin. Barbunya beans are similar to pinto beans and are usually used to make pilaki, a meal prepared with olive oil, carrots and onions. This meal is prepared differently in different regions, usually served cold and typically doesn't have meat in it. There are hundreds of barbunya varieties in Turkish context, and some of these varieties stand out more than others. Certain barbunya beans are harvested for their fresh pods while others are grown for their seeds whereas there are also versatile varieties for both uses.
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    Boncuk Ayşe (1)

    Boncuk Ayşe (boncuk means beadin Turkish, Ayşe is a traditional woman name in Turkey) is the Turkish nomenclature used to identify dry beans that, in most cases, have colorful patterns. These patterns are usually not all over the seed but instead form either around hilum (bean's eye) or on part of the seed. That being said, we occassionally come across Boncuk Ayşe varieties that have a plain color with no patterns.
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    Kuru Fasulye (3)

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    Şeker (1)

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    Turşuluk (3)