Bean hole beans are a traditional dish that originated in America and were passed on to early settlers by Native Americans. The dish is made by baking beans in a cast iron pot that is lowered into a stone-lined pit in which a fire is built until a good bed of coals forms. The pot is then covered and left to bake for several hours. The variety of beans used in bean-hole beans are usually heirloom Colonial types such as Yellow Eye, Jacobs Cattle, and Soldier beans. These are large beans that are about 1/2 inch long when dry. The dish is a popular specialty in Maine, particularly for public suppers and other special events.