The words fesols and mongetes both mean beans. However, in the volcanic area of La Garrotxa, beans are specifically known as fesols, as specified in the protected designation of origin (PDO) endorsed by the European Commission since July 2015: Fesols de Santa Pau.
The PDO is the recognition of a traditional crop first produced at the beginning of the 18th century, when the new, very productive, American species of legumes were planted in light, porous and fertile volcanic soil, eventually being referred to as fesols, a name borrowed from older species. The seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris brought from America probably replaced the old varieties of Vigna sinensis (or Dolichos sinensis), which had very long pods and were of Eurasian origin, passed down from the ancient Greeks.
In fact, today there are still local crops of different varieties: mongets, fesols menuts, fesoles, fesolins, fesolines, banyolins, escorxatites, caragirats, guixons, fesols de l’ull ros and fesols de l’ull negre, particularly in Pla de l’Estany and Baix Empordà.
The permanent Girona Excellent DOP Fesols de Santa Pau seal
Protected designation of origin Fesols de Santa Pau.
There are three traditional varieties of beans grown in the volcanic soil of the Santa Pau municipality: tavella brisa, setsetmanera and gra petit. Highly appreciated by gourmets, they are creamy, buttery, very soft to the palate and have a sweet aroma.
