Lentil

This article is about the species Lens culinaris. For the meaning of "lentil" in Indian English, see pulse (legume).

Lentil
Lentils
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Faboideae
Tribe:	Vicieae
Genus:	Lens
Species:	L. culinaris
Binomial name
Lens culinaris Medikus

The lentil or masoor (Lens culinaris) is a brushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40cm tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. The plant originated in the Near East, and has been part of the human diet since the aceramic Neolithic, being one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East. With 25% protein it is the vegetable with the highest level of protein other than soybeans, and because of this it is a very important part of the diet in many parts of the world, and especially South Asia which has a large vegetarian population.

A variety of lentils exist with colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. The colours of the seeds when removed from the pods also vary, and there are large and small varieties. They are sold in many forms, with or without the pods, whole or split.

Illustration of the lentil plant, 1885

The seeds have a short cooking time (especially for small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil) and a distinctive earthy flavor. Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North America, sometimes combined with some form of pork. They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. Lentils are used throughout the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East.

Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought and are grown throughout the world. About half of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. Whereas, Eastern Washington (especially the Palouse Region) is the most important producing region in the United States. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that world production of lentils totalled 3.2 million metric tons (MT) in 2003. Canada produced 520,000 MT and, according to the market analysis company STAT Communications, will likely export 400,000 MT during the 2003-04 marketing year, which runs from August to July. The FAO estimates world trade in lentils totalled 1.2 million MT in 2002, with Canada exporting 382,000 MT during the calendar year.

Trivia

The optical lens is so named after the lentil (Latin: lens), whose shape it resembles. The same applies also to Greek language, where the word φακός means lens and φακή means lentil.

Nutritional value

Lentils, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,477 kJ (353 kcal)
Carbohydrates	60 g
Sugars	2 g
Dietary fiber	31 g
Fat	1 g
Protein	26 g
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Thiamine (B1)	73% 0.87 mg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Iron	42% 7.5 mg
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults, except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.

Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%).

References

• Alan Davidson, The Oxford Companion to Food. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.

External links

• Information on Cooking Lentils
• Lentils - Country Production, Consumption, Exports, and Imports Statistics
• Alternative Field Crops Manual: Lentil
• Nutritional and Cooking Information

• " Multilingual taxonomic information". University of Melbourne.