Tamba black beans are famous in Japan primarily as a dried ingredient used in the sweet simmered dish served at New Year. But the fresh bean, harvested in late July and August and eaten straight from the pod, is a completely different experience. We stock the fresh version for about four weeks each summer and the dried version in autumn and winter. This is a guide to both.

What Tamba black beans are

Tamba black beans are a variety of large black soybean grown in the Tanba-Sasayama region of Hyogo prefecture, which has the right combination of cool nights and warm days to develop the bean's characteristic richness. The variety has been grown in the region for several hundred years and is now a designated traditional product of Hyogo. We buy from Yamamoto Farm in Tanba-Sasayama, a farm Kenji Muraoka visited in the autumn of 2020 before placing the first order.

The fresh summer bean

The fresh bean is harvested in late July and August, while it is still in the pod. It is cooked in the same way as edamame: boiled in well-salted water for about eight minutes, drained, and eaten cold. The flavour is richer and less grassy than standard edamame, with a nuttiness that comes from the higher fat content of the black soybean variety. Fresh Tamba beans are available for a short window each year. We stock them from late July and they are usually gone within three to four weeks.

The dried winter bean

The dried Tamba black bean is the ingredient used in kuromame, the sweet simmered dish that is part of the traditional Japanese New Year meal. The beans are soaked overnight, then simmered for several hours in a sweet soy-based liquid until they are soft and glossy. The process is slow and requires attention, but the result is a dish that keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. We stock dried Tamba beans from October through January.

Storing and handling fresh beans

Fresh Tamba beans in the pod should be refrigerated and used within two days of purchase. If you cannot use them that quickly, blanch them in salted water, cool completely, and freeze in the pod. They defrost well and the flavour holds better than most frozen vegetables. Do not leave them at room temperature for more than a few hours after purchase.

Fresh Tamba black beans are on the shelf now, at 480 yen per 200g. We receive them from Yamamoto Farm in Tanba-Sasayama twice a week and they sell out quickly. Come in on Tuesday or Friday morning for the best chance of finding them.