The lentil (Vicia lens or Lens culinaris) is an annual legume grown for its lens-shaped edible seeds or pulses, also called lentils. It is about tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each.
Lentil seeds are used around the world for culinary purposes, most commonly in stews or soups. In cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, where lentils (also called masoor) are a staple, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) known as dal are often cooked into a thick curry that is usually eaten with rice or roti.
Etymology
The English word "lentil" ultimately derives from the Latin (). The Latin word is of classical Roman or Latin origin and may be the source of the prominent Roman family name Lentulus, just as the family name "Cicero" was derived from the chickpea, Cicer arietinum, and "Fabia" (as in Quintus Fabius Maximus) from the fava bean (Vicia faba).Harold McGee, "On Food and Cooking", 2004 Edition, Scribners. . pg. 483. Optical lenses take their name from the same source because their (archetypal) shape resembles a lentil. "New Latin lent-, lens, from Latin, 'lentil'; from its shape "
Taxonomy
The genus Vicia is part of the subfamily Faboideae which is contained in the flowering plant family Fabaceae or commonly known as legume or bean family, of the order Fabales in the kingdom Plantae.
The former genus Lens, now considered a section of the 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. orientalis.
Botanical description
Lentil is hypogeal, which means the cotyledons of the germinating seed stay in the ground and inside the seed coat. Therefore, it is less vulnerable to frost, wind erosion, or insect attack.
The plant is a diploid, annual, bushy herb of erect, semierect, or spreading and compact growth and normally varies from 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. 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 long. Normally, each of them contains two seeds, about in diameter, in the characteristic lens shape. The seeds can also be mottled and speckled. The several cultivated varieties of lentil differ in size, hairiness, and colour of the leaves, flowers, and seeds.
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. After three to four days, the setting of the pods takes place.
Types
Lentils may be classified for market based on an array of seed qualities. These qualities may include the size, shape ("round" or "lens"), seed coat colour and pattern, seed coat thickness, and internal cotyledon colour. The parameters for market type or classification name may also vary according to region. Additionally, when sold, lentils may be further classified according to whether they are hulled (seed coat removed) or unhulled, and if hulled, whether the cotyledon inside is split or left whole.
Lentil seed coat colour can be broadly grouped into tan, grey, green, brown, clear or black, the first four of which will slowly turn brown over time. Black seed coat, which can present solid black (almost purple) or slightly patchy, acts like a pattern, masking the base colour (tan, grey, green or brown) beneath, while clear coats lack pigmentation altogether. Seed coat colour is also influenced by the colour of the cotyledon, though this does not usually affect market classification.
Seed coat patterning is usually selected against in most market types with the exception of Puy or "French green" lentil, which has "marbled" patterning. As well as "marbled" (which comes in two genetic variants termed Marbled-1 and Marbled-2), coats may be "spotted", "dotted", "mottled", or show complex/mixed patterns. Seed coat colour is determined by the genotype of the seed parent, rather than the genetics of the plant the seed will become.
Common cotyledon colours are an orange-red colour and a light yellow, usually just called "red" (occasionally "orange") and "yellow" respectively. Three other colours, a brown-yellow, a light green, and a dark green have also been documented.
Red lentil Red lentil varieties are defined by their red cotyledon, and moderate to thin seed coat. Red lentil varieties tend to be smaller than those of their green/brown counterparts, with large red lentil varieties meeting a similar size to small green lentil varieties. As the seed coat of red lentils is often removed, colour and pattern aren't usually selected for, though in recent years Australian red lentil varieties have been standardised for grey seed coats to allow for cultivars to be mixed. Australia is the largest producer of red lentils.
Green and brown lentil Green and brown lentil varieties have yellow cotyledon, usually moderate or thin, and green or brown seed coats. Canada is the largest producer of green lentils. These lentils are sometimes referred to by notable historic cultivars instead of by size, especially in North America: for example, small green lentils may be referred to as Eston-types, large green lentils as Laird-types, and large brown lentils as Brewer-types. These lentils rarely hold their shape when cooked, and so are often used in soups or stews.
Specialty types Black lentil Beluga Black: The commercial/trade name of cultivar "Indianhead", named for the "Indian Head" research station in Canada where they were first selected for trial. These are one of the smallest cultivars and bead-like and almost spherical, with yellow cotyledon and black seed coat. While Beluga lentil was originally grown as a fodder crop, it became something of a designer food in the 1990s, and was given the name it is now known by for its resemblance to beluga caviar. This variety holds its form well when cooked, owing to thick seed coat, and is widely used in breeding program as a source of disease resistance. Mt. Byron Black: Almost as small as Beluga lentil, Mt. Byron Black are a cultivar with black seed coat and red cotyledons. Regional types Puy lentils (var. puyensis): Small blue-green lentil with mottling, originating from France with a Protected Designation of Origin name. Lentils of this type, when grown outside of France, are often referred to as "French Green" lentils. Alb-Leisa three traditional genotypes of lentils native to the Swabian Jura (Alps) in Germany and protected by the producers' association Öko-Erzeugergemeinschaft Alb-Leisa (engl. "Eco-producer association Alb-Leisa") Other Spanish Brown/Pardina: Small round lentils with yellow cotyledon and medium-thick brown seedcoats. Despite the name, modern "Spanish Brown" does not originate from Spain. The cultivar Pardina, for example, is from a cross made in the US and subsequently trialled in Spain, where they were quite common (hence the name). Australian Materno, also considered a Spanish Brown variety, is a cross between Canadian cultivar CDC Matador and ILL7537, a breeding line which traces back to the ICARDA breeding program. Zero Tannin/Clear-Coat: Yellow cotyledon lentils with thin clear coats. Not widely commercialised. Green cotyledon: Green cotyledon lentils with green coats. Not widely commercialised.
+ Lentils production 1,841,2221,671,0721,558,636474,000260,450200,787World7,068,620
Production In 2023, world production of dry lentils was 7 million tonnes, led by Australia, Canada, and India, which together accounted for 72% of the total (table).
Cultivation History
The primary ancestor of cultivated lentils (Vicia lens, previously Lens culinaris or Lens esculentis) is the wild taxa Lens orientalis, although other wild variatals may have also contributed genes, according to Jonathan D. Sauer (Historical Geography of Crop Plants, 1993). Unlike their wild ancestors, domesticated lentil crops have indehiscent pods and non-dormant seeds.
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 centre 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 carbonised 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. Lentils were part of the ancient Israelite diet, served roasted or prepared as a soup/stew, as indicated by several biblical passages. Archaeological excavations at Tel Beit Shemesh have uncovered lentil remains dating from the Iron Age.
Soil requirements 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 do not tolerate flooding or water-logged conditions.
Lentils improve the physical properties of soils and increase the yield of succeeding cereal crops. Biological nitrogen fixation or other rotational effects could be the reason for higher yields after lentils.
Climate requirements 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. 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. Under such cultivation, seed yields are often much higher.
Seedbed requirements and sowing The lentil requires a firm, smooth seedbed with most of the previous crop residues incorporated. 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. It is also important that the soil be made friable and weed-free, so that seeding can be done at a uniform depth.