Looking for the Goewerneursboontjie

My friend Susan, reminded me of the “Goewerneursboontjie” (Governor’s bean) as described in the cookbook “Polfyntjies vir die proe” by C Louis Leipoldt (1880 -1947). One hardly hears the bean mentioned today.

Hereboontjies

Susan knows of my passion for authenticity and traditional South African foods and plants. I needed no encouragement to start a search for the elusive Governor’s bean. The problem at the outset was that I could find no image of the bean.
  

The only description at my disposal, that gave any idea of how the bean looked, was Leipoldt’s own description. He describes it, “And how splendid are the colours they display, subtle hues of red, black-brown, white and yellow? They lie there like fragments of the finest Amandola marble.”

In “Polfyntjies vir die proe”, published in 1963 (the fifty-five essays/columns of “Polfyntjies vir die Proe” were written by Leipoldt between 1942 and 1947 under the pseudonym K A R Bonadie, and published in “Die Huisgenoot” under the heading “Kelder en Kombuis”), he writes, “It’s true that we rarely see the goewerneursboontjie in all its old-fashioned glory these days, and it seems as if the species has become smaller, more wrinkled and less colourful.” Well, I am sure that if that were the case in Leipoldt’s time, the colourful bean might have completely disappeared by now.

Hereboontjies

Leipoldt described it as a true Afrikaans bean. He continues that, “This is not something you’re likely to find discussed in any overseas cookbook. Take for instance the Larousse Gastronomique, that comprehensive manual for the modern chef. It doesn’t even mention our admirable goewerneursboontjie, which is even overlooked in Afrikaans cookbooks”. I would argue that perhaps the lack of a wider audience was the demise of the Governor’s bean.

Leipoldt also mentions that the bean was called a “hereboontjie”. With my research of the Hereboontjie I was more fortunate. I found more information on this true South African heirloom.

Hereboontjies

I was quite excited to find them for sale in the Sandveld and even at a shop in Onrus. But before I could shout, “Eureka”, I discovered that the Hereboontjie under discussion is in fact, a large white bean with black markings above the place where the bean is attached to the pod.

Although this bean is called a Hereboontjie it does not match Leipoldt’s description of the Goewerneursboontjie or Hereboontjie. Other recorded forms of the name of this bean are Heerenboontjie (Pannevis - 1880) and Heerboontjie (Patriotwoordeboek - 1902). Source: http://www.selfsustainable.co.za/the-hereboontjie-a-true-south-african-heirloom/

The only similarities that I find in the different descriptions from the different sources, is that the bean is large with a superior taste and considered to be among the royalty of dried beans.

Hereboontjies

My interest was piqued. However the Hereboontjie looked, I was keen to plant a true South African heirloom bean. To get a hold of this bean, I made sure that my family and friends knew that I was on the search for it before leaving for Europe. On my return, I received a message from my sister that she had sourced two packets of the beans for me to plant.

I am so excited to have my own “Hereboontjies” that I cannot wait to plant them. I suppose I will not stop looking for the “Goewerneursboontjies”. Is it possible for a bean cultivar to disappear completely or is it just going by another name!