Lentils
The lentil, Lens culinaris, is an annual plant in the Fabaceae family, grown mainly for its dry seeds. It belongs to the same broad botanical group as peas and beans, but its small, flattened seeds give it a distinctive identity. Used in many cuisines, lentils appear in traditional family meals as well as salads and dishes based on vegetables and grains.
The plant has slender, branching stems that are relatively flexible. Its habit is usually low to moderately upright, quite different from that of a tall climbing bean. The compound leaves contain several pairs of small leaflets and may end in a tendril. Together, these features give the living plant a delicate, understated appearance, rather different from the familiar cleaned seeds encountered in the kitchen.
The small flowers, often white to pale lilac, have the characteristic shape seen in many legumes. They develop into short pods, usually containing one or two seeds. These seeds resemble slightly rounded, flattened discs, with a shape reminiscent of an optical lens. Their diameter, colour and any mottled markings vary between types, so lentils are not all identical in appearance.
The seed coat may be green, brown, beige or very dark. Its external colour does not necessarily match the inside of the seed. Red lentils sold for cooking are generally dehulled and often split as well. Their appearance therefore cannot be compared directly with that of a whole seed still enclosed in its coat. Both the lentil type and its commercial preparation affect the texture it gives a dish.
Names such as green lentils from Le Puy, blonde lentils from Saint-Flour, green lentils from Berry and pinkish lentils from Champagne reflect the diversity of French production. They do not designate different botanical species. Seed characteristics and how well lentils hold their shape depend on their type and preparation. Whole lentils suit salads and side dishes, while dehulled forms also feature in soups, purées and dals.
Lentils accompany sausages, vegetables or cereals and can form part of croquettes and stews. In a vegetable garden, they offer a chance to observe a legume grown for dry seeds. Their roots can develop nodules in partnership with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, without automatically making soil fertility sufficient. Plant height, development and maturity depend on the selection and climate, so one fixed harvest date cannot describe every situation.
Lentils
- Type : Vegetables
- Subtype : Seed vegetables
- Botanical Family : Fabaceae (papilionaceae / legumes)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Full Sun
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
- Mature height : 40 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 1 cm
- Plant Spacing : 4 cm
- Row Spacing : 30 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Low
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Self-pollinating
- Propagation : Sowing