Tepary beans are a Tohono O'odham heritage bean, drought-resistant and high-protein, used in Sonoran stews, refritos and modern Tucson tacos.
Tepary beans (Phaseolus acutifolius) are native to the Sonoran Desert and have been cultivated by the Tohono O'odham for over 4,000 years. The drought-resistant variety thrives in 100F-plus heat and minimal water, making it one of the most resilient food crops on Earth. White teparies and brown teparies survived modern agricultural marginalization through Native Seeds/SEARCH, the heirloom seed bank founded in Tucson in 1983. Mission Garden grows tepary beans every season, and modern Tucson kitchens like Mission Garden cooking demos and BOCA Tacos use them in tacos and refritos.
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