Yard-long bean

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Name Variations

 * dow gok
 * dau gok
 * Chinese long bean
 * long bean
 * bodi
 * bodi bean
 * boonchi
 * bora
 * snake bean

About Yard-long bean
Wikipedia Article About Yard-long bean on Wikipedia

The yardlong bean is also known as the long-podded cowpea, asparagus bean, snake bean, or Chinese long bean. It is known as dau gok in Cantonese, thua fak yao in Thai and kacang panjang in Malay. Despite the name, the pods are actually only about half a yard long; the subspecies name sesquipedalis (one-and-a-half-foot-long) is a rather exact approximation of the pods' length.

This plant is of a different genus and is only distantly related to beans. It is a vigorous climbing annual vine. A variety of the cow pea family, 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. They are best if picked for vegetable use before they reach full maturity. The plant is subtropical/tropical and most widely grown in the warmer parts of Southeastern Asia, Thailand, and Southern China. 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 colors of their mature seeds.

Availability
All year. String beans are similar. Usually sold in Scarborough market by the parcel or bunch. Yard-long (Asparagus bean), The pods may be 25 – 50cm (10 – 20in) long, they are preferred long and pencil-size width. There are two kinds, red seeded and black seeded. The black seeded is preferred. Culture - Yard-long beans are a pole bean related to the black-eyed peas and needs support to produce long, straight pods. Plant seed 2.5 cm (1 in) deep and 8 cm (3 in) apart after soils have warmed in late spring. Place wire or twine supports in rows at seeding. Expect 2.5 m (8 ft) tall vines.

Selection
Green pods are harvested in 50 – 60 days, or 70 days for dry harvest. For highest quality, pick daily and tie in bunches, 10 – 12 pods per bunch.