In North America the Dutch explored New York and colonized it before the British gained possession of it. As Danckaerts writes in his journal, Europeans of all stripes reluctantly accepted American beans (garbanzo, great Northern kidney, large lima among others) as a dietary staple. It seems that it took time perhaps generations before they gained popularity-particularly among elites. This remained the case despite the fact that American beans represented a good source of protein. Read more about Dutch Colonial food history.