Also known as the Aquila bean, the lupinaro is a very vigorous climber that produces green and wrinkled pods like the lupins from which it takes its name. Both the still tender pod is consumed in tasty soups or as a side dish, and the bean, small, round and highly appreciated both for its flavor and for its almost absent skin.
It has a peculiarity that distinguishes it from other all-eating beans: it is consumed with the seed already present inside the pod, an aspect that determines a greater complexity of aromas and superior succulence. It is also distinguished by a sweet, tasty, tender pulp without strings.
In the areas where it is consumed it remains in the gardens until the end of summer, first producing the tender pods and then the beans for shelling.
For cultivation, this plant prefers medium-textured soil, tending towards sandy. If you want to fertilize the soil before sowing, fertilizers with a higher content of phosphorus and potassium should be preferred, as the plant is in fact very sensitive to excess nitrogen which could compromise flowering and fruit set. The plant requires support and defense interventions rarely need to be carried out. It must be watered regularly but without excess. This plant is often also trimmed to reduce its vigor and encourage the production of pods.
The seed of this bean preserved in the Germplasm Bank has recently returned to production in its area of origin thanks to the work of the Botanical Garden of Lucca and the seed company Gargini Sementi which markets the seed. However, it remains an ancient vegetable that is rarely cultivated and is still at risk of extinction despite the fact that it does not require excessive fertilization and is naturally resistant to parasites and adversities.
Source
"The beans of Lucca"; ARSIA Manual (Baldanzi, Ceccarini, Del Pistoia, Macchia, Micheli, Pacini, Quarta).