All About Lentils
Lentils come in numerous varieties, each of which has a distinct appearance, flavor, and texture.
We prepared different types using the slow-cooking method developed for our lentil salad recipes and asked our tasters to evaluate them.
| TYPE | APPEARANCE | FLAVOR | TEXTURE | APPLICATION | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | French green | Small, dark green | Earthy, slightly starchy taste | Firm, resilient texture that won’t fall apart even when long-cooked | Salads and side dishes | | Black or “beluga” | Tiny, jet black | Robust, meaty taste | Firm, creamy texture that holds shape well | Salads and side dishes | | Green, brown | Medium, pale green or brown | Vegetal, mineral taste | Relatively firm texture when cooked | Salads, soups, and side dishes | | Red | Small, orange | Delicate taste with floral hints | Disintegrates completely when cooked | Soups, Indian dal | | Yellow | Medium, pale golden | Aromatic, faintly nutty taste | Disintegrates completely when cooked | Soups, Indian dal |
