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What the heck are ... Beluga Lentils?
 When
you order your tostados down at the TexMex cafe, you expect them to be
served with some refried pinto beans. Right? When you order your tostados
at Tapino, you would expect Chef Porter to pitch you a slight curve ball.
Right? Well, you won’t be disappointed. First off, the tostados
are piled with duck confit, instead of pulled pork. Secondly, instead
of refried beans you get refried beluga lentils! So, just what are these
mysterious things “Beluga Lentils”? If you are familiar with
lentils in general, you will recognize them as being little lens-shaped
bean-like things about the size of the end of a pencil eraser. Lentils
are legumes, seeds of a plant whose botanical name is Lens ensculenta,
related to beans, and peas, only different. Their name “lentil”
comes from their shape. “Lens” is the Latin word for lentils,
a word originating long before the invention of eyeglasses. In fact, the
optical lens is named after the lentil, whose shape it resembles. The
lentil [or daal or pulse (Lens culinaris)] is a brushy annual plant, grown
for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 15 inches tall and the seeds grow
in pods, usually with two seeds in each. They produce flat, disk shaped
dried beans, high in protein, that have a rich, somewhat sweet and peppery
flavor when cooked. One of the earliest crops to be cultivated, lentils
long have fortified the human diet, first in the Middle East and then
in India, Egypt and Europe. Lentils have been eaten for over 8,000 years,
originating in Southwestern Asia along the Indus River. Lentils come in
all sorts of colors and sizes; from green, orange, and yellow to red,
brown and black; ranging in size from smaller than a split pea to as large
as a small lima bean. Beluga lentils are a tiny black variety, named after
the caviar they resemble. They are considered to be the most exotic of
the lentils.
Like other legumes, lentils are low in fat and high in protein and fiber,
but they have the added advantage of cooking quickly. Lentils have a mild,
often earthy flavor, and they're best if cooked with assertive flavorings.
The tiny black “beluga” lentil is very unusual. At 24% protein,
Belugas rank highest among lentil varieties. Mild flavor makes the Beluga
a good choice for delicately spiced soups and salads, and their arresting
color is a wonderful touch. Black Beluga Lentils cook quickly, and are
higher in amino acids than French, green, or red lentils. These tiny lentils
are indigenous to Syria.
The common brown lentils are the most popular variety used in a wide number
of food dishes, such as soups and stews to which they thicken the ingredients.
Another variety of brown lentil is the Spanish brown or Spanish pardina.
This variety is often served with poultry dishes when preparing duck,
chicken, turkey, or game birds. Orange or red lentils are most common
in Middle Eastern or Indian food dishes.
In many cultures lentils have been disdained as cheap food for the poor.
But today's chefs have been giving them high-end cachet thanks mainly
to two kinds of lentils among the dozens grown: French and black. First,
the Culinary radar picked up the small French green “Puy”
lentils that chefs in the United States, especially the French contingent,
used instead of the garden-variety brown lentils that are grown here.
Puy lentils have a particular nuttiness and hold their shape well. Then
in the past few years tiny black lentils called beluga lentils because
of their caviarlike appearance, arrived from the Middle East. Call a lentil
“beluga”, and the foodies come running.
Lentils were mentioned in the Bible both as the item that Jacob traded
to Esau for his birthright (Genesis 25:34) and as a part of a bread that was made during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish
people. For millennia, lentils have been traditionally been eaten with
barley and wheat, three foodstuffs that originated in the same regions
of the middle East, and spread throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe during
migrations and explorations. Before the 1st century AD, they were introduced
into India, a country whose traditional cuisine still bestows high regard
for the spiced lentil dish known as dal. A large percentage of Indians
are vegetarian and lentils have long been part of the indigenous diet
as a common source of protein. Usually, lentils are boiled to a stew-like
consistency with vegetables and then seasoned with a mixture of spices
to make many side dishes such as sambar, rasam and dal. Traditionally,
the unhulled (with seed) red lentil, known as the brown massor and the
hulled (seed removed) red lentil, known as the masoor dal are the most
common for Indian soups and purées. They are frequently combined
with rice, which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in the Middle East as “mujaddara”.
Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular Indian
dish.
Lentils are used to prepare inexpensive and nutritious soups all over
Europe and North and South America, sometimes combined with some form
of chicken or pork. The introduction of lentils into the New World was
made by the Spanish and Portuguese, probably at the beginning of the 16th
century but they were not generally eaten in the USA until the First World
War. Today, Turkey is the worlds largest producer of lentils, followed
by India, China, and Canada, Spain, Nepal, and then the United States.
Lentils are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split.
The urad bean, a species of the genus Vigna, is also referred to as "black
lentil". One variety of yellow lentils, Chana, is in fact made from the kernels of chickpeas. Split Pigeon peas (either green or yellow)
are sometimes erroneously sold as lentils. Lentils are generally available
in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any other
food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins
containing the lentils are covered and that the store has a good product
turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing lentils
in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure there is no evidence of
moisture or insect damage and that the lentils are whole and not cracked.
When preparing lentils, sort dried lentils by spreading them in a single
layer on a tray or platter to make it easier to sort out to discard the
bad lentils. Look for discolored and misshapen beans and discard any unwanted
debris. Place good lentils into a colander and rinse thoroughly using
cold water. They do not require soaking, like other beans, due to their
size. Once they have been sorted and rinsed, they are ready to be cooked.
When using packaged lentils, be sure to check for tenderness before the
end of the suggested cooking time. Most suggested cooking times are longer
than necessary and could cause the lentils to become mushy, so cook only
until they are tender, which is generally 30 to 45 minutes.
Lentils are an excellent source of molybdenum and folate. They are a very
good source of dietary fiber and manganese and a good source of protein,
phosphorous, copper, thiamin and potassium. In addition to providing slow-burning
complex carbohydrates, lentils are one of the best vegetable sources of
iron. This makes them an important part of a vegetarian diet, and useful
for preventing iron deficiency. Check a chart of the fiber content in
foods; you'll see legumes leading the pack. Lentils, like other beans,
are very rich in dietary fiber, both the soluble and insoluble type.
Lentils contain naturally-occurring substances called purines. In some
individuals who are susceptible to purine-related problems, excessive
intake of these substances can cause health problems. Since purines are metabolized to form uric acid, excess accumulation of
purines can lead to excess accumulation of uric acid, resulting in "gout"
and the formation of kidney stones.
The medicinal properties of lentils have been mentioned in many old herbal
/ medical texts. The 16th century writer Dondonaeus recommended lentils
as part of the diet in monasteries as he believed that they dampened the
sexual appetite. Usually, Tapino tries to provide an abundant supply of
aphrodisiacs to our guests, in the interest of promoting romance and a
steady supply of future customers. However, if the amore might be getting
a little too much for you, you might try the lentils to calm you down.
Sort of like a cold shower on a plate! Caution! It has been reported that
the succulent, decadent, luscious, duck confit on the same plate completely
offsets the effect of the lentils! And, the effect of the cuitlacoche?
Well ... we won’t even go there!
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