Beans: They’re Not Just for Dinner. This Designer Says You Can Wear Them Too

Last week, Goya Foods reported a 400% surge in bean sales in the U.S. Locally-grown heirloom bean brands are also doing very well right now, though the uptick is bittersweet; it’s stemming from the panic over COVID-19. With millions of people stocking their pantries for life under the coronavirus quarantine, beans have become the number-one item on everyone’s grocery lists.

We’ve never been more appreciative of these humble little seeds, but Xandra Uribe has always been wild about beans. Growing up in Medellín, Colombia, beans were a staple food in her household. “For as long as I can remember, the bandeja paisa—a traditional dish of rice and beans—was sacred at my grandparent’s home,” she told Vogue.

A few years ago Uribe visited a friend’s farm in Portugal where she was introduced to heirloom seeds, some of which resemble dazzling pearls and onyx. “I’d eaten beans forever, but I’d never seen any like these before.” She returned home to Medellín and began to grow her own bean garden. From there, Uribe made a study of the agricultural history of beans. Her biggest discovery? “That beans were domesticated 8,000 years ago to be worn and used as body adornments and symbolic pieces in rituals.” She adds, “We didn’t begin eating them until 2,000 years later.”

In addition to founding “Frijolatorio,” a project in which she harvests, preserves, and catalogues rare heirloom seeds, Uribe began crafting pendant necklaces from the beans in her garden. These included heart-shaped versions in strawberry red; striped and spotted beans; as well beans in shades of purple, black, and white. Her label Byxan officially sprouted two years ago. The collections, which she sells mainly on Instagram, feature bean charms that have been dipped in 24-karat gold using a Pre-Colombian technique. “I really wanted to showcase the diversity and beauty of these beans,” Uribe explains. “I was so moved by the role that aesthetics have played in their conservation and I couldn’t stop thinking of our ancestors and the way they wore them to decorate their hair and necks.”

An independent artist, Uribe is currently quarantined. “This shall pass,” she says. “And like resilient seeds, we will come out of it stronger and better than ever.” The magical fruit, indeed.