Just a Bowl of Butter Beans

So you say these little legumes are just limas? If so, you need to understand why butter beans cause us Southerners to stand up and sing out loud.

photograph by Butterbean Johnson, Barry Ginn. Locally grown butter beans and Carolina Gold Rice are a winning combination.

A most startling event occurred while dining at the elegant Anchorage Inn on Bay Street. It was like a scene out of a movie.

My husband and I were out to dinner with the former Commanding General of Parris Island and his wife, General Tommy Thompkins. A woman was playing the piano over in the corner of the room. Suddenly, her tune drifted into the song, “Butter Beans,” the hit song by country singer Little Jimmy Dickens, made famous at the Grand Ole Opry.

Within seconds, General Thompkins stood at attention and began to loudly sing the lyrics.