When chef Daniele Uditi opened his Lele Dinner Club pop-up in a West Adams warehouse last year, one dish in particular drew notable attention: a thick pasta e fagioli stew made not with traditional Italian cannellini beans, but with pale yellow Peruano beans. Originating from Mexico yet named after Peru, these beans offer a distinct flavor profile that captured Uditi’s palate and soon his culinary repertoire.

Uditi, who hails from Caserta near Naples, said the choice to substitute cannellini beans for Peruanos was inspired by his wife’s Mexican heritage. “The refried beans her grandmother makes reminded me of those from my childhood in Naples,” he explained, noting that the Peruano bean lends a sweetness and depth that differs from the milder, brighter cannellini. Since then, Uditi has integrated Peruano beans into a variety of dishes, including minestrone, salads, and a wood-fired prawn dish with uni bisque.

Peruano beans have seen a surge in popularity in Southern California markets. In Northgate González Market, where multiple bean varieties are sold by bulk, Peruanos are uniquely stocked in two large bins due to high demand, with several shipments arriving daily. The trend extends to the Mercado González Market and Food Hall in Costa Mesa, where deliveries of the beans amount to even larger quantities.

While there is broad consensus that Peruanos originate from the Andean regions of Peru, how the beans made their way to Mexico is less clear. Steve Sando, founder of the heirloom bean company Rancho Gordo and author of “The Bean Book,” describes beans as highly adaptable and easily transported seeds, which may account for their wide geographic distribution. Rancho Gordo cultivates these beans, which Sando refers to as Mayocobas, named after a town in Mexico’s Sinaloa state. Other common names include canary, Mexican yellow, frijol de Peru, and mantequillas. At one point, the beans were also marketed under the name Enola until DNA testing confirmed they were identical to Mexican-grown varieties.

A drought-resistant variety known as Mayocoba Oro was introduced in Mexico in 2024 and has been identified as potentially significant for future cultivation.

Cookbook author and PBS cooking show host Pati Jinich, born in Mexico City, acknowledges subtle distinctions between these beans, noting that markets often differentiate between Peruanos, Mayocobas, and mantequillas. Regional preferences also vary: Peruanos are favored in central Mexico, black beans dominate in the south, and pintos are preferred in the north.

Jinich, who lives near Washington, D.C. where Peruanos are less common, frequently brings the beans from Mexico for home cooking. She uses them in traditional Mexican preparations such as frijoles de la olla, refried beans, and charro-style dishes, where the beans are cooked with bacon or chorizo, onions, jalapeños, and tomatoes. Jinich describes Peruanos as “earthy, buttery” and versatile enough to absorb a wide range of seasonings while maintaining a distinctive flavor.

The beans' adaptability was underscored by a kitchen mishap shared during a dinner gathering in Los Angeles. When beans prepared with Italian-style aromatics overcooked and burst, they were blended into a smooth soup that retained a rich, warm flavor with a subtle spicy finish. The unexpected dish quickly became a crowd-pleaser, illustrating the Peruano bean’s culinary flexibility.

Across chefs, food writers, and markets, Peruano beans are gaining recognition for their unique texture, flavor, and versatility—transcending geographic boundaries to bring a nuanced dimension to a variety of dishes inspired by both Mexican and Italian culinary traditions.