Yard-Long Beans

In the southern parts of the Subcontinent, as in Southeast Asia, yard-long beans are more common than regular green (or yellow) beans, which like a more temperate climate. Yard-longs are slender, dark green, and eighteen inches to two feet long (see photograph); they have a firmer texture than green beans. They are the pods of the cowpea (Vigna unguiculata ssp.sesquipedelis) and can be grown in North America in hot summer weather. They are now widely available in Asian groceries, sold in bundles. We like to cook them whole in boiling salted water, then slice them, if serving them as a simple dressed vegetable.