Ten Things You Probably Didn't Know About Lentils

Lentils have been a part of the human diet since the Neolithic times. These protein packed members of the legume family are just as easily served in a side dish as they are as a main course. Here's a list of ten things you didn't know about lentils.

1. Lentils are the only beans that don't need to be presoaked. Most types of beans in the legume family need to be soaked for hours prior to cooking to soften their tough outer shell. Lentils need only be pre-rinsed briefly before cooking.

2. There are ten different types of lentil beans. Brown lentils are by far the most common type of lentils beans, finding their way into lentil soups and casseroles most frequently. There are ten different types of lentils however, ranging in color from red to pink to yellow. Lentils also come in different sizes.

3. Lentils originated in central Asia. Lentils were one of the first crops to be cultivated by humans and date back to Neolithic times. Lentil seeds were recently discovered in Asia that date back more than 8,000 years. Lentils were later introduced to Egypt and Greece pre Biblical times. In the United States, lentils didn't make an appearance until the early 1900s.

4. Canned lentils do not lose nutritional value. Most vegetables and beans which are processed and then canned lose much of their nutritional value. Lentils retain their nutrition whether dry packed or canned.

5. Lentils provide more folic acid than any other unfortified food. One cup of lentils provides 90% of the recommended daily intake of folic acid, a crucial nutrient. Lentils are also an excellent source of protein, molybdenum, manganese, iron and fiber.

6. Lentils are considered the food for mourners. In Judaism, the round shape of the lentil bean is said to signify the circle of life.

7. There's a National Lentil Festival in the United States. Since 1989, the National Lentil Festival has been held in Pullman, Washington, where over one-third of the US lentil crop is grown. Festival goers enjoy an annual parade, lentil cook off, beauty pageant and golf tournament.

8. Lentils are a good legume for diabetics. Most legumes in the bean family are high in carbohydrates and must be eaten sparingly by those with diabetes. Unlike their cousins, lentils are high in soluble fiber and low in carbohydrates, and have been proven to decrease serum glucose levels and cholesterol.

9. Small lentils are more flavorful. The smaller lentils, mostly grown in the Middle East, are packed with flavor and considered to be the more favorable lentil for cooking. Larger lentils, more common in North America, lack the intensity of their smaller cousins.

10. Lentils were once used as packing material. The packing peanut industry grew out of lentils, which were used in earlier times in the middle to secure packages for safekeeping during shipping.