Ayocote Medianoche - Limited Edition

The Ayocote is one of the oldest cultivated beans in the world — grown in the Puebla region of Mexico for over 6,000 years, predating the Aztec empire itself. A runner bean in the same family as the scarlet runner you may know from American gardens, but far more ancient, far more storied, and in the case of the Medianoche, far more extraordinary. Named for the Spanish word for "midnight," this rare variety is grown by the Joel Rivero family in San Pedro Temamatla, a small mountain village in Puebla, using traditional farming methods passed down through generations and no synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. In Mexico, beans like these are rarely grown by large industrial operations — they are the livelihood of small shareholder farmers, and the Medianoche is no exception. The Rivero family's harvest supports their entire village, and every bag you bring home creates the sustainable income that keeps this ancient variety — and the people who grow it — alive. The Medianoche itself is a showstopper: enormous, shiny-coated beans in a dramatic mix of deep black, rich purple, and cream — no two handfuls exactly alike. Cook them low and slow and they reward you generously, holding their shape through long braises while producing a thick, inky broth with a bold, earthy flavor that is almost impossible to resist in soups, stews, and sauces. We named this bean — and we've officially placed that name in the public domain, because nobody should own a bean. Read why. Primary Beans sources the Medianoche through our partnership with La Comandanta, a Mexican mission-based company working directly with small family farms to rescue ancestral varieties at risk of disappearing. This is a rare, limited harvest.