The bean with the eye of Salento Lecce Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers
Antonio Bruno *
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The cowpea or black-eyed Dolič Dalichos belonging to the genus, of Afro-Asian. The oldest recipe with beans with the eye as we know it dates back to the first century after Christ, in "De re coquinaria" Marco Gaius Apicius
The history of the cowpea is much more ancient Roman era, traces secure testimony, in fact, that Egyptians and Greeks used it and it was widely grown in the Salento Lecce but, over time, has gradually been overlooked for the loss of economic importance. This caused the disappearance of many varieties, so that only some of them can be traced among the farmers who have kept in cultivation for household consumption or local market. In this paper a proposal addressed to the institutions to avert the risk of extinction of varieties survivors.
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The proverbs, yeah! "Li Huai thee pignata them sape ca sulu the Cucchiara the air," which translated means "The troubles of the pot knows that they turn the spoon." And in the Salento Lecce "piñata is a clay pot for cooking . The "piñata you pasuli n'ecchiu cu. What great memories! It was my father asked my mother the next day in the evening if he should do this "piñata" which referred generically to the pot but he was referring to what the pot was cooked, and also meant that it was necessary to eat vegetables that they were placed in water the night before a day of cooking.
The piñata is a pot used to cook the vegetables that the artisans 'potters' del Salento Lecce hand make and brought into conformity to externally glazed handles. It has two handles in the form of tape that are near each other and this feature allows you to have a good grip also the piñata can be approached in this way to fire until the beginning of the outer enamel, but not the part of the piñata it allows the enamel that can exude the same time keeping the contents warm.
The cooking of vegetables at the piñata has a long process which, as I wrote, the evening begins, which is the time when the pulses are set to "swim" with water and salt. They must cook for a long time but not less than five hours. Be careful when we put them in the fireplace because it should be placed on the grill, but away from the flame. Cones should be two, one with vegetables, covered with water, adding salt, onion and tomatoes and the other with water only. The water in the piñata with legumes is heated to the boiling threshold, we must be careful, however, that never reaches the boiling point, evaporates slowly in this way and that is why water should be added using the second piñata, and this is so that the beans are always covered with water.
But what "with the eye bean (Vigna unguiculata)? It 'a legume grown mainly in Africa as the main source of protein but also in Italy as the cowpea. Originally from Nigeria, is characterized by the strong resistance to desert climates. It 's a good source of protein and can be an alternative to soya in animal feed.
In Puglia are grown many varieties of cowpea or Dolič are much appreciated as mangiatutto beans, less dry beans.
But why is it called "Vigna unguiculata"? Vigna is the generic name was given in honor of the botanist of the seventeenth century Pisan Bartolomeo Vigna who described these beans, "unguiculata" stands for "with a nail", "with a socket" and "claw toes". Unguicola (small nail) features in zoology from the apes and man, as "only a flattened or transversely curved, with round toe, protruding from the fingertip." But the exact definition is botanically accepted that says: "petal, at its base with an extended form of human nail insertion of the floral receptacle. Then we realized why the bean with the eye is called Vigna unguiculata? Satisfied?
If the bean with the eye comes from Africa, then why should cultivate the bean with the eye of Salento Lecce but if you can buy at bargain prices all the seeds you want from the global market?
Meanwhile, we can say is that because the widespread consumption of fresh "beans mangiatutto," it is good to cultivate in the area! That's right! Those tasty green beans, as long as spaghetti, that can not wait to eat, are nothing but beans soon caught the eye! But even if you collect the dry bean with the eye of Salento, Lecce, contrary to what the owner of a piece of the countryside of Salento, Lecce, is the result of a wisdom that he has been given in the form of seed from his ancestors!
In fact, Perugia Negri, Florida and Montanari have carried out an assessment study of four ancient varieties of beans with the eye (Vigna unguiculata). The evaluation was performed for the organoleptic characteristics such as visual attractiveness, the first impression in the mouth, the hardness of the integument of the seed and chemical characters such as the ash content of dry matter, total nitrogen, carbohydrates, fiber and lipids. The surprising thing is that they were scientifically significant differences for all sensory qualities except for the hardness of the seed coats and were also significant differences in chemical characteristics for protein and for total carbohydrate.
The conclusion reached was that the scholars with the selection made by individual families who have grown beans with the eye over hundreds of years there have been huge differences between varieties with different seed even if you are in a rather restricted area.
The difference between local varieties of beans with the eye, and commercial varieties, it offers a scientific basis to require marks of typical and unique qualities such as Protected Designation of Origin that could contribute to extend the area of cultivation of local varieties to obtain the protection biodiversity in situ.
As far as our territory, on the basis of information available that the cultivation of local varieties of this species is now restricted to small area of Salento in Lecce.
But as I wrote there is a pattern of conduct by the University of Perugia, which has enabled a detailed monitoring of the area around Lake Trasimeno, where local varieties are grown in what is locally called "beans of the lake."
Other news that should be of interest to the Department of Agricultural Resources of the Region of Apulia that has made the proposed law aimed at protecting and restoring gene of interest in agriculture are endangered and that the University of Perugia for the ex situ the material collected in the area around Lake Trasimeno has created an ad hoc structure managed by the Department of Applied Biology, University of Perugia in collaboration with the Province, and located on Polvese (PG) in Educational Science Park of Lake Trasimeno. The same collection is duplicated at the Department of the University. And the University of Salento could not "imitate" this practice of doing something similar for the varieties of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walpers del Salento Lecce?
In my previous note I mentioned that Cosimo De Giorgi in 1879 wrote to the then Minister of Agriculture about the diet based on cereals and civaje population of the district of Lecce. Among the civaje is the bean with the eye (Vigna unguiculata), and then I wonder and I ask you: what scientists expect the Botanical Garden of Lecce to put the machinery in motion as did the scientists in Perugia?
The commercial varieties of beans with the eye, which is likely to come from Nigeria, are sold on Web 2.0 from 3 up to € 4 per kilo. Since it is considered "good" the production of 2000 pounds of beans per hectare if it were already guaranteed the price of commercial varieties, there would be a gross marketable production from 6 thousand to 8 thousand euro per hectare.
But if my proposal is accepted, studies with the University and with the regional law, the beans with the eye of Salento Lecce can obtain the protected designation of origin and, in this case, it is likely that prices will emulate those who check the pea dwarf Zollino that is sold on the Web 2.0 to € 7 per kilo, and if this occurs, the gross marketable production would rise to 12 - € 14 thousand per hectare. It is worthwhile to cultivate it?
Bibliography
V. Negri, S. Floridi, L. Montanari, evaluation of local varieties of Vigna unguiculata cv. Gr unguiculata (L.) Walp. Waits for sensory and chemical composition.
Angelo Passalacqua, cowpea http://amicidellorto.splinder.com/post/18570476
Tosti N. and Negri V. 2002. Efficiency of three PCR-based markers in Assessing genetic variation
Among cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata (L) Walp.) landraces. Genome 45,
pp. 268-275.
Ispra, the ex situ conservation of biodiversity of wild and cultivated plants in Italy
Fagiolina of Lake Trasimeno, http://www.taccuinistorici.it/ita/news/antica/aprodotti-tradizionali-italiani/Fagiolina-del-lago-Trasimeno.html
Price-eyed bean http://www.risoedintorni.it/page2/S24.htm
Price Zollino dwarf peas (500g) http://www.salentipico.com/prodotto.asp?id=507
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