Popping Bean

A special kind of common bean is the nuña, or popping bean, which has been cultivated for several thousand years in the high Andes. It can be popped by just 3–4 minutes of high dry heat—a great advantage in the fuel-poor mountains—or in the microwave oven. It doesn’t expand nearly as much as popcorn and remains fairly dense, with a powdery texture and nutty flavor.