Why we should all love lentils and eat them more!

+ Grazia Deledda, Sardinian-born Italian woman author, 1926 Nobel Prize for Literature recipient

Whenever I go to the United States, I head to a grocery store to find my favorite food ingredients to do some cooking. Frequently, prices are way higher than what I find in Italy, but that's not the case with lentils. They’re one of the most readily available, inexpensive, protein-packed and versatile ingredients available. And that's pretty much the case worldwide.

The Food and Agricultural Organization says lentils are “the world’s oldest cultivated legume, so it’s no surprise that lentils have become a staple across the globe – from India to the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas.”

Lentils and history

The name lentil has a close tie-in to Roman history. The 16th century botanist Tournefort used the word “lens” to name the lentil genus. One of Rome’s prominent Roman families took the name Lentulus. Similarly the family name Cicero comes from  Cicer arietinum the botanical name for the chickpea, and the family name Quintus Fabius Maximus (Fabia) is tied to the botanical name for the fava bean, Vicia Faba.

The Spruce Eats says: