Borlotti / Cranberry Beans

Ingredient

What it is

Plump, oval beans with a stunning cream-and-magenta speckled pattern when fresh (the color fades to brown on cooking). Called borlotti in Italy, cranberry beans in the US, coco rose in France.

How it's made

Available fresh in the pod (a seasonal treat), or dried. Dried ones are soaked and simmered; fresh ones cook faster and need no soaking.

Flavor profile

Rich, nutty, sweet-chestnutty, with a creamy texture and tender skin — one of the most flavorful beans, with a depth that rewards simple preparation.

Culinary uses

A pillar of Northern Italian cooking: pasta e fagioli, minestrone, and bean stews, and central to Venetian and Veneto dishes. Fresh borlotti, shelled from the pod in late summer, are a genuine seasonal pleasure simmered with herbs and oil. They mash well and also hold their shape.

Regional variations

Italy (especially the north — the Lamon borlotto of the Veneto is IGP-protected). Portugal and Spain use cranberry-type beans in stews. The US "cranberry bean" is the same plant.

Cultural & historical context

Borlotti exemplify the Italian appreciation for beans as a course in their own right, not just a side. The fresh-in-pod season is anticipated in markets the way fresh peas or favas are.

Reference notes

Tags: legume, bean, Dried, Fresh, Whole, Vegetarian, Vegan, seasonal
Related ingredients: sage, pancetta, tomatoes, pasta, rosemary
Related cuisines: Italian (Northern/Veneto), Portuguese
Suggested links: Cuisinopedia → Cannellini Beans, Minestrone (dish), Pasta e Fagioli

Cuisines

Italian Portuguese Veneto)