WTF is THAT?!?!

Welcome to my new weekly bit, "What the Food?"

I'm going to scour Pittsburgh for new & exotic (or as "exotic" as you can get in the Steel City) foods and prepare them. Chances are better-than-average that the item I select will be new to the both of us. My hope is to bring a few more different and interesting things to the Kertney family table whilst I am stuck in the land of Primantis and Iron Shitty-- not that I'm complaining about those.

Today's WTF food hails from the Netherlands and has many fire-breathing lizards in an inaudible uproar. I give you... (drum roll please) 

DRAGONS TONGUE BEANS

Okay, okay... the sign says "product of Guatemala" but I swear that the beans are Dutch.  I found these particular beans at the hoity-toity Market District, Giant Eagle. And yes... they are expensive little waxy buggers, but, it's a weekly gig and I am not too worried about the 1/4lb "splurge." 

From everything I have read, Dragon's Tongue Beans have a delicate, buttery taste and the pretty purple stripes fade during the cooking process. Sad face... but neat. I will prepare the beans for dinner, tomorrow and give you a thumbs up or down. They look pretty cool... and my kids seemed interested in sampling one, given that I told them they are ACTUAL dragon's tongues... and have the magical ability to make one breath fire.  

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PREPARATION DAY:

Well, dragon tongue beans taste EXACTLY like your average, every-day green bean, with two minor differences:

1) They are larger.
2) They are heartier.

I prepared these dragon tongue beans with some green beans I had hanging around the veggie drawer. I snipped the ends,  boiled the beans w/ sea salt until beautifully green. And yes, the fun, purple streaks did, indeed, disappear once cooked. Womp! I "shocked" them in a ice bath and then sauteed them in butter, garlic, diced shallots and cracked pepper. I served da' beans with Sesame Panko Tuna and Coconut Jasmine Rice. Awesome, awesome stuff if I do say so myself... and I do.

Thumbs up or Down?

Thumbs up but with reservations. I would reccomend buying these beans only if you are trying to impress a crowd with it's fun, fire breathing namesake... if not... go green. (Case and point: 5.99/lb vs. .99/lb) But grab a handful next time, for shits and giggles!