LENTIL

Lentils are native to the area of the East Mediterranean, where they have been cultivated and used as a common food source as far as 10,000 years ago.

The oldest archaeological findings, which relate to lentils, were discovered in Greece and Syria.

Lentils are easy to cook and a can be used to make various dishes. They can be added to cold salads, stews and dishes originating from India or North Africa. They are also a common ingredient of vegetarian patties and go well with different types of vegetables.

Lentils are a great side-dish with fish, as well as lamb and pork.

The largest producers of lentils are Canada, India and Australia.

Different varieties vary in colour (from reddish orange to black) and size, as well as cooking time.

The name originates from the Latin word for “lens”, which was used to name the optical lens.