Holy
(Sacred Bean, Monstrance, Heilige Boon)
(Pole) According to the Koanga Institute, Holy beans originated in France. 1 This variety has been present for a long time within New Zealand and the Netherlands. 1, 2 According to the legend, the Holy bean was born in upheaval during World War 1. During the war a French pastor feared the treasures and sacred items would be stolen from the church, and in order to guard his church’s treasures he buried them in the ground. To deter suspicion from this place, the pastor planted white seeded beans in the soil above the items.
When the pods dried and the dry beans were ready for harvest, the pastor shelled them. To his amazement the seeds had the image of an Angel in Praise, and in other variations of the coat pattern, a monstrance over the eye.
Referred by the Slow Ark of Food as Sacred Bean and an heirloom of the Netherlands. 2
Days to Maturity:
Resources: The Koanga Institute in New Zealand shares an interesting story behind the Holy beans they received and continue to share.
“We received these beans in 2014 from Anne Handley of Omaka Wanganui and a story to go with them. They have been in New Zealand a long time but came originally from France. According to a legend, a French pastor hid his church treasures underground during the first World War, fearing theft. In order to protect the treasures even better he planted beans on top of them. When the beans were ripe for picking and being shelled the pastor discovered pictures of a monstrance on the beans. H.van Rens, being a school teacher in Horst, took the plants home from France 3 years ago. During a holiday in the French Vosges he met up with an eccentric recluse who grew the beans and told him the story about the legend. Back in the Netherlands Van Rens showed the beans to the commercial bean seed growers in Horst. He also gave some cuttings to Van den Bekrom, connoisseur of the Roman Catholic faith. According to Van Rens the commercial growers had never seen anything like it and they couldn’t give an explanation for it. Head office of the bean seed growers in Naaldwijk also examined the beans, they are all puzzled. A spokesperson of Auction house ZON also talks about a miracle. We just cannot explain it. The pictures on the beans are so clear, they seem to be painted on. Van Rens gets them served regularly on his plate. According to him the taste is divine!” (Koanga Institute, 2024)