Fassolia Gigantes Elefantes Kato Nevrokopiou

These giant elephant beans are a variety of runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) cultivated using traditional techniques in the Kato Nevrokopi basin in Drama prefecture. These beans are white, kidney-shaped, and quite large – 1,000 seeds of this bean weigh around 1,200g.

They are harvested manually, sun dried, and sorted before being graded and packed mechanically. Giant elephant beans are usually baked in a tomato sauce. Prior to cooking, they can be boiled in order to keep the skin firm and give them a buttery texture.

Kato Nevrokopi giant elephant beans are also often eaten in a bean salad served with a glass of raki.