Dancing Lemons:

I grew 'Liana' and 'Long Red Chinese' two years ago here in SE Michigan. I thought they were both outstanding. Flavor wise, pretty much the same. Both were very productive, so much so that I got kind of bored with them by the end of the summer, and quit picking. They then self-seeded, and some tried to grow the next year, but they were where my tomatoes were going, so I didn't leave them.

The advantage of 'Liana' supossedly is that it's a day-neutral variety, while many others can have delayed blooming due to long day lenght in the North. However, the red ones and the 'Liana' both started blooming in mid-late July for me, about 2 months after planting, so I didn't notice much of a difference there.

I ordered the "Chinese Red" this year myself, along with a couple of other kinds. And, I actually found a package of 'Liana' locally on the seed racks, so I'll have lots to try this year.

I like the red, just because it is pretty. The mosaic looked plain sick to me. Tastes like all the rest, looks like it has caught major disease, lol!!

GGG

"Chinese Red Noodle" is one of the best-tasting yardlongs that I have grown... plus, it is very attractive. Unlike purple snap beans, the purple-red color is _not_ lost in cooking. The pods are a little shorter than most yardlongs. They have a firm texture when cooked. However, the vines seem to need more heat than most of those that I have grown, which unless you are a coastal Zone 7, should not be a problem. It freezes well.

"Taiwan Black" was extremely vigorous, bore early & heavily, and had impressively long pods... many actually becoming "yard long" when mature. At harvest stage, they are very light green, slender, and got second looks by everyone who saw them. But I was not impressed by its flavor, which was very mild in comparison with other yardlongs. The pods also developed fiber very quickly, so they needed to be harvested very young (when they were "only" 24" long!), on a daily basis during warm weather.

"Liana" is heavy-bearing, and very early. The pods are dark green, and have the true "asparagus bean" flavor when cooked lightly (as all yardlongs should be). This is probably the easiest & most reliable yardlong.

My other favorites are either heirlooms, or foreign commercial varieties... all from the Philippines. One of these is a purple-podded variety with slender pods nearly as long as "Taiwan Black". I grew it when I lived in San Diego, and it is my all-time favorite for flavor... it was even crunchy, sweet, & nut-like raw. But it is also tropical & daylength-sensitive, so it can only be grown in a few areas of the U.S. Unfortunately, Wisconsin is not one of them. :-(
I'm still looking for a tropical grower to keep the seed alive for me.

Two commercial varieties from the Philippines did surprisingly well here in Wisconsin, given their tropical origins (many tropical varieties are daylength-sensitive). "Galante" and "Sierra Madre" are both mid-season DTM, and are described in much greater detail (including photos) in the link below. They have many good qualities, and it would not surprise me if one or both of them becomes a commercial variety here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Asparagus Beans

I am so glad that I found this thread. I have always wanted to try asparagus beans but didn't know anyone who had grown them. They really do taste good, huh? I was afraid they were just a novelty. Guess I will have to order me a pack.