Lentil

An annual, Lens culinaris, with edible round, flat seeds, believed to have originated in Central Asia. Archaeological findings in the Middle East date the lentil back 8,000 years. According to Roman historian and naturalist Pliny, lentils were not only a Roman staple, but were also used (almost 3 million Roman pounds of them) as ballast in the specially built ship that transported the Egyptian obelisk to Rome, where it still sits in St. Peter's Basilica.

Lentils are mentioned in the Book of Genesis and were introduced to India before the birth of Christ. The "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright was supposedly a lentil stew. Lentils have the most protein (25 percent) of any edible plant. They can be brown, green, black, yellow, orange or red, sold whole or skinned, and, after germination, can be milled into flour. Canada and the U.S. are the two chief producers of lentils for export, with two main varieties: the Chilean, with a solid tan-color coat and yellow interior; and the red chief, with a light tan coat and pale reddish orange interior. See also pulse, Puy lentil.

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