The lentil (Vicia lens or Lens culinaris) is an annual legume grown for its lens-shaped edible seeds or pulses, also called lentils. Lentil seeds are used around the world for culinary purposes, most commonly in stews or soups. The English word "lentil" ultimately derives from the Latin lens ("lentil").
The former genus Lens, now considered a section of genus Vicia, consisted of the cultivated L. culinaris and six related wild taxa. As members of genus Lens, these six are Lens orientalis, Lens tomentosus, Lens lamottei, Lens odemensis, Lens ervoides, and Lens nigricans. The seven members are often referred to as "taxa" instead of "species" and/or "subspecies", as while it is broadly agreed there are seven of them, whether they constitute distinct species is not broadly agreed on.
Among the wild taxa, L. orientalis is considered to be the progenitor of the cultivated lentil L. culinaris. Of the taxa, L. culinaris and L. orientalis are most often considered subspecies, and so are often also classified as L. culinaris subsp. culinaris and L. culinaris subsp. orientalis respectively. Following reassignment to genus Vicia, they may also be referred to as Vicia lens subsp. culinaris and Vicia lens subsp.
Lentil is hypogeal, which means the cotyledons of the germinating seed stay in the ground and inside the seed coat. The plant is a diploid, annual, bushy herb of erect, semierect, or spreading and compact growth and normally varies from 30 to 50 centimetres (12 to 20 in) in height. It has many hairy branches and its stem is slender and angular.
The rachis bears 10 to 15 leaflets in five to eight pairs. The leaves are alternate, of oblong-linear and obtuse shape and from yellowish green to dark bluish green in colour. In general, the upper leaves are converted into tendrils, whereas the lower leaves are mucronate.
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If stipules are present, they are small. The flowers, one to four in number, are small, white, pink, purple, pale purple, or pale blue in colour. They arise from the axils of the leaves, on a slender footstalk almost as long as the leaves. The pods are oblong, slightly inflated, and about 1.5 centimetres (5⁄8 in) long.
Normally, each of them contains two seeds, about 0.5 centimetres (1⁄4 in) in diameter, in the characteristic lens shape. The seeds can also be mottled and speckled. Lentils are self-pollinating. The flowering begins from the lowermost buds and gradually moves upward, so-called acropetal flowering.
About two weeks are needed for all the flowers to open on the single branch. At the end of the second day and on the third day after the opening of the flowers, they close completely and the colour begins to fade.
The cultivated lentil Vicia lens subsp. lens was derived from its wild subspecies V. lens subsp. Lentil was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and then spread to Europe and North Africa and the Indo-Gangetic plain. The primary center of diversity for the domestic Vicia lens as well as its wild progenitor V. lens ssp. lamottei is considered to be the Middle East.
The oldest known carbonized remains of lentil from Greece's Franchthi Cave are dated to 11,000 BC. In archaeobotanical excavations carbonized remains of lentil seeds have been recovered from widely dispersed places such as Tell Ramad in Syria (6250-5950 BC), Aceramic Beidha in Jordan, Hacilar in Turkey (5800-5000 BC), Tepe Sabz (Ita. Tepe Sabz) in Iran (5500-5000 BC) and Argissa-Magula Tessaly in Greece (6000-5000 BC), among other places.
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Lentils were part of the ancient Israelite diet, served roasted or prepared as a soup/stew, as indicated by several biblical passages.
Cultivation
Lentils can grow on various soil types, from sand to clay loam, growing best in deep sandy loam soils with moderate fertility. A soil pH around 7 would be the best. Lentils improve the physical properties of soils and increase the yield of succeeding cereal crops.
The conditions under which lentils are grown differ across different growing regions. In the temperate climates lentils are planted in the winter and spring under low temperatures and vegetative growth occurs in later spring and the summer. Rainfall during this time is not limited. In the subtropics, lentils are planted under relatively high temperatures at the end of the rainy season, and vegetative growth occurs on the residual soil moisture in the summer season. Rainfall during this time is limited.
Lentil plant
In West Asia and North Africa, some lentils are planted as a winter crop before snowfall. Plant growth occurs during the time of snow melting. The lentil requires a firm, smooth seedbed with most of the previous crop residues incorporated.
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For the seed placement and for later harvesting it is important that the surface is not uneven with large clods, stones, or protruding crop residue. The plant densities for lentils vary between genotypes, seed size, planting time and growing conditions, and also from region to region. In South Asia, a seed rate of 30 to 40 kilograms per hectare (27 to 36 pounds per acre) is recommended. In West Asian countries, a higher seed rate is recommended, and also leads to a higher yield. The seeds should be sown 3 to 4 centimetres (1+1⁄4 to 1+1⁄2 in) deep.
A combination of gravity, screens and air flow is used to clean and sort lentils by shape and density. A major part of the world's red lentil production undergoes a secondary processing step. These lentils are dehulled, split and polished.
Culinary Uses and Nutritional Information
How to make Vegan RED LENTIL STEW | Tsion Cafe | Harlem NYC | The Daily Meal
Lentils can be eaten soaked, germinated, fried, baked or boiled - the most common preparation method. The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety; small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil, require shorter cooking times (and unlike most legumes don't require soaking). Most varieties have a distinctive, earthy flavor.
Lentils with husks remain whole with moderate cooking, while those without husks tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which may enable various dishes. Lentils are used worldwide in many different dishes. Lentil dishes are most widespread throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions, West Asia, and Latin America.
In the Indian subcontinent, Fiji, Mauritius, Singapore and the Caribbean, lentil curry is part of the everyday diet, eaten with both rice and roti. Boiled lentils and lentil stock are used to thicken most vegetarian curries. They are also used as stuffing in dal parathas and puri for breakfast or snacks. Lentils are also used in many regional varieties of sweets.
They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time. Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup throughout Europe and North and South America, sometimes combined with chicken or pork.
Lentils are commonly eaten in Ethiopia in a stew-like dish called misir, or misir wot, one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, injera flatbread. Ethiopian lentil stews are loaded with flavor and texture and one of my favorites is Misir Wot, which uses two spice blends--mekelesha and berbere--to create amazing flavor.
This is a super simple stew to make and although it uses the same spices as the shiro wot you will be amazed by how different they taste.
Misir Wat is an Ethiopian lentil stew that is easy to make and has an incredible depth of flavour. To make misir wat, you’ll need niter kibbeh which is a spiced clarified butter. You’ll also need berbere spice which you can probably find at an African grocery store. Berbere spice is a hot spice blend so use less than the amount that I’ve listed in this recipe, if you want a milder stew. You can also use more tomato paste than I’ve listed in the recipe to make the stew less spicy.
Misir wat is often served with injera or rice. For a quicker cook time, I usually soak the lentils in water while I'm getting the other ingredients ready for the meal.
Nutritional Value of Lentils
Boiled lentils are 70% water, 20% carbohydrates, 9% protein, and 0.4% fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3+1⁄2 ounces), cooked lentils (boiled; variety unspecified) provide 114 calories, and are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of folate (45% DV), copper (28% DV), and manganese (21% DV).
Lentils also have antinutrient factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and a relatively high phytate content.
| Nutrient | Amount per 100g (Boiled) | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 114 | - |
| Water | 70g | - |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | - |
| Protein | 9g | - |
| Fat | 0.4g | - |
| Folate | 45% DV | 45% |
| Copper | 28% DV | 28% |
| Manganese | 21% DV | 21% |
Breeding and Genetic Research
Although lentils have been an important crop for centuries, lentil breeding and genetic research have a relatively short history compared to that of many other crops. Since the inception of The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) breeding programme in 1977 significant gains have been made.
It supplies landraces and breeding lines for countries around the world, supplemented by other programmes in both developing (e.g. India) and developed (e.g. Australia and Canada) countries. Wild Lens species are a significant source of genetic variation for improving the relatively narrow genetic base of this crop. The wild species possess many diverse traits including disease resistances and abiotic stress tolerances.
The above-mentioned L. nigricans and L. orientalis possess morphological similarities to the cultivated L. culinaris. But only L. culinaris and L. culinaris subsp. orientalis are crossable and produce fully fertile seed. Between the different related species hybridisation barriers exist.
- Primary gene pool: L. culinaris, L. orientalis, L.
- Secondary gene pool: L. lamottei, L. odemensis, L.
- Tertiary gene pool: L.
Crosses generally fail between members of different gene pools. However, plant growth regulators and/or embryo rescue allows the growth of viable hybrids between groups. Even if crosses are successful, many undesired genes may be introduced as well in addition to the desired ones.
This can be resolved by using a backcrossing programme. Thus, mutagenesis is crucial to create new and desirable varieties.
