Gigantes Beans

Gigantes — the word simply means 'giants' in Greek — are the oversized white butter beans that form one of the most beloved dishes in the entire Greek culinary tradition. Gigantes plaki: the beans slow-baked in a deep ceramic dish with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and an extraordinary amount of olive oil, until they are yielding, creamy, and infused throughout with the sweet richness…Gigantes — the word simply means 'giants' in Greek — are the oversized white butter beans that form one of the most beloved dishes in the entire Greek culinary tradition. Gigantes plaki: the beans slow-baked in a deep ceramic dish with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and an extraordinary amount of olive oil, until they are yielding, creamy, and infused throughout with the sweet richness of the sauce. It is the kind of dish that makes a vegetarian meal feel not just sufficient but genuinely satisfying and celebratory.The gigantes bean is not simply a large butter bean: it is a specific cultivar grown in northern Greece (the Kastoria and Florina regions are the most prized producers) that has been bred over generations for its particular size, creamy texture,…Read more