Description
The Faba Asturiana PGI is a variety of bean or dry bean separated from the pod from the Phaseolus vulgahs L. species and the traditional Grana Asturiana variety.
Production Area
The production area of the Faba Asturiana PGI is located in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias.
Production Method
The preparation of the grounds for the plantation of new plants must be made with a suitable treatment of the area concerned. The cultivation system can be paired with corn which acts as a tutor. The ideal period for seeding is in May. Approximately an 80-100 kg of seeds per hectare are used. The use of chemical herbicidal is forbidden. Harvesting is handmade, either pod by pod, from the plant, especially when the cultivation is paired with corn, or mechanically with the previous cut of the tutor plants. The pods harvested are brought to roofed rooms where they are dried. Then they are shelled to separate the grain from the pod; this process can be made both by hand and mechanically. Later the product is cleaned to eliminate residuals through air and vibration. The damaged grains are eliminated and then the beans are classified depending on their size. The product is automatically or semi-automatically packed and labelled.
Appearance and Flavour
The pod of the Faba Asturiana PGI is green, smooth and long. The bean has a creamy white colour with a big, long and flattened shape.
History
The cultivation of Faba Asturiana PGI is one of the traditional plantations in the Asturias region. There are books dated back to the 19th century which explain the different aspects of this bean, in particular, as regards its importance for the family economy of the era.
Gastronomy
The Faba Asturiana PGI must be stored in a fresh and dry room. The beans can be tasted cooked or used to prepare a wide range of dishes. They must be soaked using 3 l of water per 500 gr of product before coking. It is advised to use a 5 l pot in stainless steel filled with water in the above mentioned percentage, to which salt must be added at the end of cooking. The Faba Asturiana PGI can be combined with meat, sausages, seafood, fish and mushrooms. After a dish of Faba Asturiana, it is suggested to eat either a dessert based on milk and rice or a good goat's milk cheese.
Marketing
The product is sold in different varieties: dry, alone or in packs mixed with sausages or salamis and precooked food. The product can be vacuumpacked in sacks of 500 gr and 1 kg or in 500 gr and 1 kg sacks for retailing and 5-10 gr for catering. The bean packed with sausages or salamis is sold vacuum-packed in 200, 300, 350, 400, 600 and 700 gr bags with the necessary amount to prepare the local dish fabada. The Faba Asturiana PGI when cooked is sold in tins or plastic or glass pots.
Distinctive Features
The oceanic macroclimate affects positively the production of a high-quality product like the Faba Asturiana PGI.
