Rich and cheap! Lentils are called “the poor man’s’ meat”!
Origin
Lentils, Lens Culinaris, belong to the Fabaceae (leguminous) family and include two different types: nigricans and esculenta. The first one is originally from the Mediterranean area and west Asia, while the second is the result of the domestication of the nigricans. Its fruit contains two seeds, the legume as we know it. The history of its cultivations is very ancient. It was one of the first plants cultivated by man in the Paleolithic era, and we know this because it’s the first plant that we find written traces about. Most likely, the first cultivations were in Mesopotamia and west Asia. Egyptians used to trade lentils with Romans and Greeks and used to cultivate them very extensively. Today they are very popular in Asia, north Africa and the Mediterranean area.
Cook it
Lentils can be found fresh only during summer but during the rest of the year, they can be found dry or canned. Normally, if they are too big, lentils need to stay in water for a whole night. If they are small, it’s better to keep them in water only for 30-60 minutes (but if you just want to make a salad, then skip the water process). Lentils are placed in water because they need to soften and because the nutritive power of the seeds is enhanced. They can be boiled, steamed, sautéed in a pan or in an oven. They can be a side dish, a sauce, a filling for a salad cake, a hamburger, “meat” balls, or sauce for pasta.
Did you know
That are many stories linked to lentils: in the Bible, they were associated with death and with selling yourself cheap. Plinius considered them able to give peace to soul. Common people believe they bring prosperity if eaten on the first day of the year. Why? Because they are smaller than other legumes, but as nutrient as the others are. If you put in a plate the same weight of beans as lentils, the number of lentils will always be higher, because they are smaller. They are also full of fiber, protein, minerals, phosphorus and iron.
