Biza — Manarolia: A Forgotten Cretan Legume

Biza — also called manarolia in parts of Crete — is a humble legume once widely grown and eaten across the island’s villages, but now nearly forgotten even here in Crete. The plant’s seeds resemble small chickpeas in size and shape, and older generations remember it as a nutritious staple that was cooked like pulses in the home kitchen. Today it survives mainly because of a few traditional shops and cooks who still prepare it and keep the memory alive.

The experience of biza is rooted not in modern cuisine but in the daily life of Cretan households: simple food made with what was available, cared for over slow heat, and shared with family at the table. It is part of the living archive of traditional Cretan food and nutrition.

Ingredients

(as given in the original Greek article)

2 cups biza (manarolia)
½–¾ cup olive oil
1 large dry onion
1 deep plate grated tomato or 1 can of peeled/cooked tomato
Salt

Method

Clean the biza from any foreign matter and soak them overnight in water (at least 12 hours).
The next day, rinse and place them in a pot with cold water. Bring to a boil, then discard the first water.
Return the biza to the pot with fresh cold water covering them by about two fingers. Add finely chopped onion.
Boil until the legumes are very soft — this can also be done in a pressure cooker.
In a separate pan, prepare a tomato sauce with olive oil and the grated or canned tomato. When the sauce is nearly ready, add the biza with a slotted spoon, along with just enough of their cooking water to make a juicy but not soupy dish.
Season with salt, simmer briefly so the sauce and biza unite, then remove from the heat.
Let the dish rest and settle before serving.

On the Table

Biza is cooked simply, without flourish — olive oil, tomato, onions, and the gentle texture of the softened legumes. For Cretans who remember it, the dish evokes the kitchens of the past: slow cooking, modest ingredients, the smell of legumes on the stove and the conversation around the table.

Some families also cook biza with flour-and-lemon sauce (alevrolemono) just as one would with other pulses, or with wild greens and herbs when available.