Behind the Seeds – Red and Black Beans, with Omar Rodriguez (Honduras)

For our 10th episode of “Behind the Seeds,” we spoke with Omar Rodriguez at Terra Madre, last year’s Slow Food Congress in Turin. He is from Honduras and works as a coffee producer. Besides coffee, he is also passionate about beans! As he explained, in Honduras corn and beans are staple foods with black and red beans being the most commonly used varieties.

Omar presented two typical ways to prepare the beans. We have compiled the recipes below.

Frijoles Parados – a Red Bean Stew

Frijoles Parados – a Red Bean Stew:

This is a hearty side dish eaten daily in Honduras.

The ingredients are:

• Vegetable oil
• Half a cup of diced onions
• Half a cup of diced green peppers
• Half a cup of bean broth (from cooking the beans)
• 3 cups of cooked red beans

Preparation:

1. Sauté the onions and peppers in the pan with the oil for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the beans to the pan and gently stir into the bean broth.
3. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 5 minutes.
4. It is ready to serve!

Baleadas and Frijoles Refritos

The second recipe, which is an undisputed classic, is Baleadas – traditional tortillas with Frijoles Refritos.

Frijoles Refritos are cooked beans that are mashed and fried in oil. The result is a creamy paste with a smooth consistency that is easy to spread on bread or tortillas. The tortillas – or Baleadas – were invented around 1964 in the La Ceiba region of Honduras and are very well known throughout the country.

The ingredients are:

• 500 g of cooked beans
• Some bean broth (from cooking the beans)
• 80 g diced onions
• 60 g lard (or vegetable oil)
• Some salt
• Tortillas 
• Cotija Cheese or Feta Cheese, crumbled 
• Sour Cream

Preparation:

1. Melt lard or oil in a frying pan or pot over medium heat until it smokes.
2. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
3. Then add the beans, cook briefly, and mash with a potato masher.
4. Add some of the bean broth and repeat the process until you are satisfied with the consistency.
5. Season with salt to taste.

Preparation of the Baleadas:

1. Spread a tortilla with the bean paste and add the feta cheese and then the sour cream.
2. If you like, you can also spice it up with other ingredients such as avocado slices, sautéed red onion, scrambled eggs, hot sauce, or chorizo, etc.!

Enjoy your meal!

Behind the seeds – Red and Black Beans, with Omar Rodriguez (Honduras)

Behind the Seeds | Red and Black Beans with Omar Rodriguez (Honduras)