Curious case of Baguio legume: Why this purple bean turns green
MANILA, Philippines — If you’re the type who frequents weekend markets and likes to look around booths selling fresh produce from rural communities, chances are that you sometimes encounter unique or curious vegetables that are not familiar to you. Sometimes you even discover “anomalies” of common produce.
After being awed by Magic Kamote (sweet potatoes that are white outside but purple inside) and white eggplants (eggplants with white skin instead of the usual purple), I recently found purple beans in the stash of fresh produce from Benguet graciously sent to me by now Baguio-based chef and restaurateur Waya Araos-Wijangco.
Purple beans that look every inch like the common green beans, which we like to refer to as Baguio beans because they are cultivated in the upland farms of Benguet, are sold in plentiful amounts at the Baguio Market. They are brought down to Manila in bulk for commercial distribution. Purple beans are a curious lot simply because they are dark purple in color (aubergine or eggplant shade of purple). But nothing separates them from the usual green beans, really, as they turn green when cooked.
Yes, you read that right. Purple beans “magically” turn green when they are cooked. I read that when I was doing my research on purple beans after receiving a good amount of them along with other Benguet vegetables from Chef Waya. But I “half-believed” what I had just read, quickly dismissing it as, well, almost impossible.
I regret that now, because my “half belief” made me miss seeing the actual turning of purple into green when we sliced up the purple beans and cooked them into chopsuey with cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, sayote, and shrimps. After stir-frying, we put the lid on the chopsuey in the pan to let it simmer for a while. But when we finally lifted the lid, there was no trace of purple beans left in the pan. Only green beans, a.k.a. Baguio beans. Just like that. Like magic.
So what is the use of buying purple beans when they end up becoming green beans after all? Besides being delicious and crisp when you get them fresh, purple beans are rich in antioxidants. They get their vibrant purple color from plant pigments called anthocyanins, which are heat sensitive so that they break down when cooked and make the beans turn green. You can preserve the purple color of purple beans by eating them raw in salads or lightly steaming them and then shocking them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process, and, yes, they have a similar culinary use to the common green beans.
Purple beans contain more antioxidants, though, and taste slightly sweeter, fruitier, and nuttier than their green counterparts. These low-calorie legumes are rich in dietary fiber, folate, calcium, and Vitamins A, C, and K. They are good for heart health, with their high soluble fiber content helping lower bad cholesterol, and they help attain good digestion and promote a healthy gut microbiome. They support bone strength and aid in wound healing, too.
Purple beans are good for the health — whether they turn green or remain purple!
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