Discover Yard-long bean

• The yardlong bean, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown around the world for its medium-sized edible bean. 
• Despite the name, the pods are actually only about half a yard long; the subspecies name of sesquipedalis (one-and-a-half-foot-long) is a rather more exact approximation of the pods' length.
• This plant is extensively cultivated in India for its pods, which are often two feet in length, contain a number of pea-like seeds called by the Hindus chowlee and form a considerable article of food. 

Know your Yard-long bean - Common names

•  The yard-long bean is also known as the long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean.
• China:  cheung kong tau, dau gok, dow gauk, tseng dou, cai dou, chang dou, chang jiang dou, chang kong tau, jiang dou
• India:  lobia
• Indonesia:  kacang panjang, otok
• Japan:  juroku sasage mame, sasage
• Malaysia:  kacang belut, kacang panjang, kacang panjang hijau, kacang perut ayam
• Philippines:  banor, hamtak, sitao, sitaw
• Sri Lanka:  diya mekaral
• Thailand:  tau afuk yaou, tau fug yao, thua chin
• Vietnam:  dau dua, dau que

Know your Yard-long bean - Botany

• This plant is of a different genus than the common bean.
• It is a vigorous climbing annual vine. 
• A variety of the cowpea, it is grown primarily for its strikingly long (35-75 cm) immature pods and has uses very similar to that of a green bean. 
• The pods, which begin to form just 60 days after sowing, hang in pairs. 
• The plant is subtropical/tropical and most widely grown in the warmer parts of Southeastern Asia, Thailand, and Southern China. 

Know your Yard-long bean - Cultivation

• They are best if picked for vegetable use before they reach full maturity. 
• Yard-long beans are quick-growing and daily checking/harvesting is often a necessity. 
• The many varieties of yard-long beans are usually distinguished by the different colours of their mature seeds. 
• A traditional food plant in Africa, this little-known vegetable has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable land-care.

Know your Yard-long bean - Uses

• The crisp, tender pods are eaten both fresh and cooked. They are at their best when young and slender. 
• They are sometimes cut into short sections for cooking uses. 
• They are used in stir-fries in Chinese cuisine. 
• In Malaysian cuisine they are often stir-fried with chillies and shrimp paste (sambal) or used in cooked salads (kerabu). 
• Another popular and healthful option is to chop them into very short sections and fry them in an omelette.

Know your Yard-long bean - Nutrition

• They are a good source of protein, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, and a very good source for vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and manganese.
• In a serving size of 100 grams of yard-long beans there are 47 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 mg sodium (0% daily value), 8 grams of total carbohydrates (2% daily value), and 3 grams of protein (5% daily value). 
• There is also 17% DV vitamin A, 2% DV iron, 31% DV vitamin C, and 5% DV calcium. (Percent daily values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Individual daily values may be higher or lower depending on individual calorie needs.)