Alta de Moda
(Pole) Alta de Moda (‘modas’) is an old regional Catalan bean. This variety has large peach to beige coloured seeds and large curved pods. It is for dry use and (if picked young) a snap bean. Our original source ‘Le potager ornemental de Catherine‘ received her seeds from Louise Proulx. 1
In 1939 Catalan Joan Roig Gener (sixteen) and his family fled from Catalonia to France. This was during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) at the time when General Francisco Franco had taken power in Spain. In 1957 Gener moved to Montreal, Quebec and later to Sainte-Luce. Here he continued to preserve the Alta de Moda variety. According to Gener’s neighbour Louise Proulx, these are the beans his father traditionally grew in Catalonia. After the passing of Gener, Louise Proulx and Èric Viladrich discovered that his beans are a traditional variety considered lost since the 1940s to Gener’s home region in Catalonia. Since this discovery a program has been started to reintroduce Alta de Moda to Catalonia. 2
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Resources: Here is an article sharing Joan Roig Gener’s story of preservation.
Varietal Information
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Flower Colour:  Light Pink | |
| Pod Colour: Green | |
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