Lentils are a type of dry vegetable (or legume) that belongs to the starch family. It's a Mediterranean plant that was one of the earliest vegetables to be produced by humans. It is an annual herbaceous plant with delicate stems that develops in a tiny bushy plant of 30 to 40 cm. The pods are small and only carry one to two seeds. Lentils come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and they are regarded a national institution in India. The name "lens," derived from the Latin lenticula, a diminutive of lens, first occurs in english in the 12th century. By analogy of shape, the meal will be named after the glass items used in the production of optical equipment, followed by glasses and contact lenses. The lentil originated from the fertile crescent of the Near East and was one of the first legumes to be domesticated 9,000 or 10,000 years ago, perhaps at the same time as wheat. Remains from this period have been discovered in northern Syria, on the banks of the Euphrates. It is rarely encountered in the wild, save from cultural escapes. With the development of Neolithic agriculture, it moved through Greece and southern Bulgaria, eventually reaching Crete around 6,000 BC. It was known in the Bronze Age in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Germany, and France. The Pharaohs' Egypt held a high regard for the lentil. Lentil soup has been unearthed in graves going back to 2,400 BC in Thebes, and we know that it was consumed in Egypt because to paintings from the period of Ramses II. It was also known to the Assyrians, who cultivated it in Babylon's famed Hanging Gardens in the 8th century BCE, according to archives. It was considered poor people's diet in ancient Greece. It was euphemistically remarked of a nouveau riche of the period that he no longer enjoyed lentils. The green lentil is the most prevalent in Europe. Her gown is a deep green to steel blue. The green lentil from Puy en Velay, as well as the famous green lentil from Berry, with tiny grains, have a regulated designation of origin (AOC). The red lentil, with its tiny and spherical grain, is less prevalent. The latter is grown in Champagne and is known as "lentillon de Champagne." The bigger and less flavorful blonde lentil, which is yellow-green in color, is not grown in France. Neither does the brown lens. Pink or "coral" lentils are still marketed shelled in India, North Africa, and the Middle East. The coral lentil is a lovely salmon pink tint that adds a pop of color to your food. It has a really lovely flavor. It is made in both North Africa and the Middle East.