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Order: Fabales;
Family: Fabaceae;
Genus: Vicia;
Species and synonyms: Lentil (Lens culinaris, Vicia lens).

GBIF: Lens culinaris Medik.

Lentil (lat. Lens culinaris) is a herbaceous plant from the family Fabaceae, order Fabales, one of the oldest agricultural crops. Cultivated as a food and fodder plant, a grain legume crop; occasionally found as a weed. Optical lenses got their name from the Latin name of the lentil (lat. lens), whose shape they resemble. Its homeland is Southern Europe and Western Asia; it has been cultivated since the Neolithic era. Mentioned in the Old Testament; remains have been found in Egyptian pyramids and on the territory of prehistoric settlements in Switzerland. In the wild, it grows in Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, and Central Asia.

The ancient Egyptians made dishes and baked bread from hulled lentils; a painting from the tomb of Ramesses III (Thebes) depicts the pharaoh's bakery and a cook with two baskets of lentils. The Egyptians placed lentil bread in the tombs of the deceased. Among the ancient Greeks, lentils were the daily food of the common people (a proverb: "A wise man always cooks his lentils well"). In Russia in 2019, lentil crops amounted to 274 thousand hectares, with a harvest of 145 thousand tons. The largest cultivation areas are in India, Canada, Turkey, Nepal, and Iran; it is grown little in Central Europe.

Lentils are the most important source of protein for many Asian peoples; in terms of nutritional properties, they can replace bread, cereals, and even meat. Cultivation technology is similar to that of peas, but the plant is more heat-loving (suffers from frost) and tolerates drought more easily. Since ancient times, lentils have been valued as a medicinal plant: ancient Roman doctors used them to treat stomach diseases and nervous disorders (they believed that constant consumption made a person calm and patient). In old Russian herbalists, lentil infusion was recommended for smallpox; a liquid decoction helps with constipation, while a thick one serves as an astringent for gastrointestinal diseases. Lentil decoction is also recommended for kidney stones and liver diseases.

In cooking, lentils are boiled (soups, porridges, purees, stews), stewed (with vegetables, meat, mushrooms), added to salads, pâtés, cutlets, meatballs, patties, fillings (for pies, pancakes, dumplings), and used as a side dish. There are red (Egyptian) lentils (without hull, cook quickly), green (French) lentils (with hull, hold their shape), brown, black (Beluga), and yellow. Lentils pair well with garlic, onion, carrots, tomatoes, peppers (sweet, chili), ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, parsley, cilantro, thyme, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, meat (chicken, pork, beef), bacon, smoked meats, rice, bulgur, and couscous.

Lentils are rich in protein (up to 35%), carbohydrates (fiber, starch), iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, A, C, E, K), flavonoids, and folic acid. In folk medicine, lentils are used as a general tonic, strengthening, hematopoietic, diuretic, choleretic, laxative, calming, antioxidant, and hypoglycemic agent for diabetes, gastritis, colitis, constipation, anemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, liver, kidney, nervous system, and skin diseases.