URIZUN JAPANESE WINGED BEAN

An early maturing and supremely delicious winged bean from Japan. This highly adaptable winged bean variety is not day length sensitive, making it an excellent choice for a wide range of growing areas. Winged beans are native to equatorial Asia. Baker Creek’s founder, Jere Gettle, first encountered winged beans on a trip to Thailand. Being a tropical crop from the equator, the winged bean typically takes a long season to flower, only setting pods just before frost in our Missouri climate. For years Jere searched for a winged bean variety that would bear pods earlier in order to enjoy a longer harvest season. Urizun is just the variety he had been searching for; this variety will begin to produce pods in August and heavy production continues until frost. This heat-loving vegetable is especially popular on the island of Okinawa, Japan, where it takes center stage during the warm summer months. Vines are lush and tropical looking, with large, lavender flowers and unique pods. The vines will readily climb a trellis or fence, making this an exotic edible ornamental. Traditionally blanched and stir fried with ume (pickled Japanese plum), we love to toss them into the wok with just about anything; they are also great in soups or steamed. Sliced beans resemble little stars and are a fun way to introduce kids to this nutritious vegetable.

“Description courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/rareseeds “.