Lentil, << LEHN tuhl, >> is an ancient food plant. It belongs to the leguminous family of plants, and grows in Egypt, southern Europe, the United States, and western Asia. Its long fruits, or pods, look like those of the pea and bean. The seeds of the lentil are the part used as food. They are red-brown, gray, or black, and never grow more than 1/2 inch (13 millimeters) in diameter. The lentil seeds are shaped like a lens. The lens itself was so named because it looked like a lentil seed.
Lentil seeds have a distinct flavor and are among the most nutritious legumes. They are rich in protein and carbohydrates and are usually used to make casseroles, salads, and soups. As a table food, lentil seeds are not as common in the United States as they are in many other countries.
The lentil plant grows best in light, dry soil. Plants grown in too rich a soil do not bear many pods. The plant is used as fodder for sheep, horses, and cattle. The lentil, one of the first cultivated food plants, was first grown about 2200 B.C. According to Genesis 25: 34, Esau sold his birthright for a “pottage of lentils.”
