This thick-skinned runner bean is pretty and very large. It's starchy but goes from dense to creamy with continued cooking.

The staff here often refers to Ayocote Morado as a "gateway bean." Once you start, you get hooked. Its big, beefy texture is a good fit for those trying to cut out meat and eat a more plant-based diet, or for vegetarians looking for a hearty meal. Ayocote Morados provide a deep, bouillon-flavored bean broth, making them ideal for soups.

Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, the Ayocote family was one of the first cultivated crops of the Americas. They are grown all over central and northern Mexico. If you plant them, you can enjoy the flowers, eat the pods as a broad bean, or shell them fresh for shelling beans.