Food Alphabet
Lentils
Lentils are one of the oldest cultivated plants on earth. Probably, therefore, there are different hypotheses of its origin. Grains of ancient lentils were discovered by archaeologists in Switzerland, on the pile buildings of the Bronze Age. And the scenes of cooking lentil soup are depicted in Egyptian frescoes from the time of Ramses II.
It is known that among the ancient Greeks, lentil soup was an everyday food for the poor. At the same time, many Greek philosophers, who did not attach much importance to food, also ate lentils. To this day, the Greeks have a proverb: "A smart person always cooks his lentils well."
In ancient Rome, lentils were eaten by representatives of different classes. However, the patricians were not among them.
Gradually, lentils spread to other countries. Especially the Germans loved it, who even on New Year's Eve prepare a traditional festive dish from it. At the same time, the Germans believe that lentils on the New Year's table will ensure the well-being of the house.
In addition to the Germans, lentils are adored by the Hindus, who prepare a variety of dishes from it. Also in Turkey, lentil and bean bean soup is one of the most common national dishes.
In Russia, lentils appeared around the 14th century, among the common people in those days, it was very popular and earned the honorary title "queen-lentils". However, it was later pushed into the background by other legumes, leaving it a place as a main dish only in the soldiers ' barrack kitchen.
Also today, lentils do not have many fans, although they are still a delicious, healthy and nutritious product.
The most famous types of lentils: brown, red, white, green and yellow. There are also varieties of lentils "beluga" and "puy".
Brown lentils have a nutty taste. It is especially common in the United States and European countries, where it is used to prepare soups with vegetable herbs.
Red lentils are good because it takes only 10-15 minutes to process them. And if you cook it longer, you will get a delicious porridge.
"Beluga" - a variety of lentils with round black beans, superficially resembling the caviar of sturgeon fish-beluga. This lentil is great for making salads, stews, and side dishes.
The fragrant black and green Puy lentil owes its name to the French city where it was first bred. It is suitable for making salads, because it does not boil for a long time.
