Flageolet Bean

The flageolet bean is a small, light green, kidney-shaped variety of the common bean that originated in France, distinguished by being harvested while immature and then dried in the shade, a method that preserves its pale green color rather than letting it mature to the usual tan or brown of dried beans. Once shelled and cooked, flageolet beans have a firm yet creamy texture prized in French cooking, where they are the traditional accompaniment to roasted leg of lamb. Beyond France, the variety is also grown commercially in California.