Try beans on toast

Anglophiles are fascinated with all things British Princess Diana and the royal family, to Beatlemania, James Bond,DowntonAbbey, Harry Potter, William Shakespeare and tea time. Beans and toast, however, are one tradition we haven’t fully embraced yet.

The American Heinz brand claims to have started the bean meal almost a century ago. In 1927, beans were marketed as an affordable protein for those supporting the World War II effort from home. It could be served for breakfast or dinner.

Heinz Beans, first produced in Pittsburgh in 1895, were exported to the UK beginning in 1904. In 1928, Heinz began producing baked beans at their factory located just outside London. This brought the price down and the popularity up. Heinz Beans had the slogan “a million housewives everyday, pick up a can of beans and say ‘Beanz Meanz Heinz.’ ” Heinz cans of “baked beans in tomato sauce” are still a staple in British homes. They’re different from America’s baked beans. UK navy beans are actually stewed and not as sweet. The canned beans are heated and served with white toasted bread. Some people add mustard or HP, a British brown sauce of tomatoes and tamarind, with melted cheese on top.

This summer it was harder to find Heinz baked beans in the United Kingdom. Tesco, the country’s biggest supermarket chain, stopped selling some Heinz products in a price dispute.

“We have a responsibility to ensure customers get the best possible value,” a Tesco spokesperson told CNN Business. Heinz responded saying it was “working closely with Tesco to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

Back in 1994, another battle of baked bean prices made the news. England’s supermarkets promoted no-frills, store label baked beans. In competition they slashed prices while taking a loss. Kwik Save lowered a tin to about 20 cents and limited shoppers to 10 tins per visit. It seems the beans just weren’t up to the same quality and Heinz remained the favorite. Across the pond, canned beans on toast aren’t just for penny pinchers. Edith Conn, a British Red Cross worker, met the princess of Wales in 1991. In an interview with The Mirror, Ms. Conn said she asked Princess Diana where she was headed after her visit with the Red Cross workers.

“I’m going home tonight. I’m having beans on toast and watching EastEnders,” the Princess replied.

Yes, there is a fascination with our mother country even though we fought for independence from her. Perhaps our shared language helped bond the Anglo-American friendship. Maybe it’s the close alliances between our leaders. Now, if you fancy trying beans on toast, I’m sure you can figure out how to proceed. Beg your pardon if this sounds a bit cheeky, but I’ll stick with Texas homestyle pinto beans y’all! The following spicy bean recipe comes from the Food Network website.

Texas Pinto Beans

1(16 ounce) package dried pinto beans 4 1⁄2cups water 1⁄2 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 bacon, slices cut into 1 inch pieces 1 teaspoon salt 1 medium tomatoes, diced 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded,and chopped Place beans in a Dutch oven. Add water 2 inches above the beans.

Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Cover, remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour before draining. Bring beans, 4 1/2 cups water and the next 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until tender.

Add tomato and jalapeno pepper, and simmer mixture for 30 more minutes.

dwyer@wilcosun.com