Phaseolus vulgaris

Zuni Gold Beans are also known as the Four Corners Gold Bean or the Shalako Bean.

This beautiful bean was originally cultivated by the Zuni people in the Four Corners region of the southwest, where it was traditionally grown with corn and squash in the Three Sisters tradition for at least a thousand years. The beans are white with golden-amber mottling covering most of the surface, and they hold their color and pattern when cooked. Although they can be eaten young as a green bean, they really shine as dried beans. Zuni Gold is known for holding its shape while cooking, as well as its ability to absorb the flavorful spices of the southwest. Sadly, this unique and flavorful bean has been largely replaced in cultivation by the pinto bean, which is easier to grow on a large scale. There is a newly bred more resilient version of this ancient bean called 'Southwest Gold', which is often mis-labeled in seed catalogues as Zuni Gold. You can easily tell the difference because the real Zuni Gold is mostly gold colored with large white mottles, whereas the newer version is mostly white with gold 'freckles'.

half-runner habit

Slow Foods Ark of Taste Variety