Saudi Aramco World : A Harvest of Legume Research Volume 39, Number 3May/June 1988 Send this article to a friend. A Harvest of Legume Research Written by Lynn Teo Simarski Photographs courtesy of ICARDA Even before Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red-lentil pottage, legumes - plants of the pea family - have provided important staple foods in the Middle East and North Africa. Today, legumes are the basic ingredients of such staff-of-life dishes as the Egyptian laborer's breakfast dish of ful mudammas, the Yemeni farmer's bowl of shurbat adas, the Syrian city-dweller's scoop of hummus bi tahinah, and the Turkish movie-goer's bag of toasted leblebi. Of the more than 14,000 species of legumes, including important fodder plants like alfalfa, three species account for two-thirds of the legumes produced today for human consumption in the Middle East and North Africa. They are faba beans (Vicia faba), lentils (Lens culinaris), and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum).

Only cereal production surpasses "the big three" in the region's rainfed agriculture. Legumes, also known as pulses, confer special dietary and agricultural benefits that make them particularly valuable. Nonetheless, modern agricultural research has long bypassed them in favor of breeding new types of wheat and other crops. Unimproved local varieties of legumes suffered from low yields and unstable harvests, and in recent times the farmers of the Middle East began to abandon them for more dependable crops that had profited from scientific improvement. But now the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), headquartered in Aleppo, Syria, is attempting to reverse the outlook for legumes, as part of its mission to improve the region's production of basic food crops. Agricultural scientists such as those at ICARDA use crop plants' genes - the blueprints of inherited traits - to produce better plants for farmers. They often utilize "landraces" of crops, the unimproved local strains that farmers have cultivated for centuries, as a starting point, identifying plants that show desirable characteristics, such as tallness, abundant pods, or resistance to some insect pest.

Then, they cross different plants with each other to produce, over time, a new variety with all the desirable traits. Local scientists from Morocco to Pakistan then test ICARDA crop lines under a wide array of local conditions, breeding for their particular environment. It is the task of national research and extension programs to refine the new crop lines - and ICARDA's new technologies - and disseminate them to farmers. A prime reason legumes have played a vital role in the region's traditional farming systems is their ability to take nitrogen directly from the atmosphere and "fix" it in a form plants can use. Because legumes leave surplus nitrogen behind in the soil to nourish subsequent crops such as corn and wheat, they save the farmer the cost of artificial nitrogen fertilizer. Once in the pot, legumes are rich in fiber and contain two to four times the protein of cereals - hence their nickname, "the poor man's meat." Legumes and cereals eaten together supply complementary amino acids - the building blocks of protein - thus providing better nourishment than if either type of food were eaten alone. Traditional diets the world over mix grains and pulses - rice and soy in Japan, corn and beans in Mexico, rice and lentils in the Middle Eastern dish mujaddarah.

Ancient sources confirm that the "big three" legumes, which were first domesticated in the Middle East, have been eaten for millennia. Faba beans, which originated in west or central Asia, are mentioned in Hittite texts and the Bible; Ramses II of ancient Egypt is known to have offered 11,998 jars of beans to the god of the Nile. The dominant food legume in North Africa today, faba beans supply the main ingredient of ful mudammas, Egypt's national dish, which is also served with tomatoes, onion, olive oil, lemon, and hard-boiled eggs. Faba beans are also used in a Levantine salad and to "decorate" North African couscous - another nutritious grain-legume combination. Through careful breeding, ICARDA is transforming the faba bean. The goal is a new plant variety that is easier to grow. Harvests from traditional varieties are undependable, partly because the plant relies on outside pollinators to fertilize it. "The population of pollinating insects, such as bees, can vary," says Dr.

Mohan Saxena, head of ICARDA's food legume research, "and without insects, there may be no pod set." Faba bean lines were discovered that can naturally fertilize themselves - a characteristic that was bred into ICARDA's new plants. Other lines contributed genetic traits for stable - and higher - yields. "The new plant lines are being distributed to different countries to test under local conditions," Saxena says. Tall, traditional faba beans also have an architectural fault: they tend to lodge, or fall over, in the field, making harvest difficult. In most of the region, the plants are cut or pulled out by hand. ICARDA's scientists are developing faba bean plants almost 50 percent shorter that stay erect. Unlike old types, the stalks of the new plants end in a flower. More of the plant's energy is thus channeled into developing seeds instead of unproductive foliage. Other plants have been bred with an independent vascular supply - an individual nutritional pipeline - to each flower pod. "Normally, the supply to all the flowers is interconnected," says Saxena, "and older and younger flowers compete for the plant's nutrients.

If each flower has its own supply, more pods will form, and they will mature more uniformly." The acid test of a new plant line, of course, is performance in farmers' fields. ICARDA has joined with national scientists in the Nile Valley Project to improve faba bean production in Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. Profitably exported from the area in the early decades of this century, the crop must now be imported at twice the cost of local production. But the cooperating countries are beginning to reverse this trend: In Egypt's Mina Governorate, for instance, farmers have achieved 10- to 20-percent yield increases with new techniques and varieties. Project scientists also developed "Giza 402," the first commercial faba bean variety to resist the devastating parasitic weed Orobanche, which can wipe out entire fields. The new variety is now grown on about 4,000 hectares (15,000 acres) in Egypt. In irrigation schemes in southern Sudan, where faba beans were traditionally not grown, "the project demonstrated that faba bean is the most profitable winter season crop available," says Saxena. "These schemes have a fallow or rest season which can be replaced by a legume.

Faba beans used this way could provide a surplus for export and generate foreign exchange." Lentils are just as venerable in the Middle East, which presently grows one-third of the world's crop. On land now submerged beneath Syria's Lake Assad, archaeologists found the oldest remains of lentils from about 8000 BC, while lentil paste was discovered in Egyptian tombs of Thebes that date from about 2300 BC. Lentils have long been a staple food especially for the poor: There is an ancient Greek saying about a nouveau riche gentleman who "doesn't like lentils anymore." Today, virtually every region, every group in the Middle East seems to have its own characteristic recipe for lentil soup. Tess Mallos' Complete Middle East Cookbook includes a Levantine lentil soup with silverbeet, an Armenian soup based on lamb stock, a sour Cypriot version with vinegar, a highly-spiced Gulf recipe with tomatoes and limes, an Egyptian soup with chicken or meat stock, cumin, and lemon, and a Yemeni soup flavored with garlic, tomatoes, and coriander leaf.

Lentils, along with chickpeas and lamb, are also added to harira, a North African stew, while Egyptian koushari, a traditional Coptic "fasting" dish for meatless meals, combines lentils, noodles, and rice. "Mechanizing the lentil harvest, particularly the step of pulling plants from the ground by hand, is widely recognized as the crop's major problem," explains Dr. Willie Erskine, lentil breeder at ICARDA. "The lentil pods open up when they're left too long on the ground, so there's a 'time window' - about four to seven days - when the crop must be harvested, or lost." During this period, the scarcity and high cost of labor hit small farmers hardest. Major lentil-growing countries recently sent 36 scientists to ICARDA for demonstrations of improved plants, growing techniques, and machinery. They saw new lentils more amenable to machine harvest - plants less prone to lodging, with pods that do not shatter in the field and lose their seeds before harvest. Ethiopia and Tunisia have released such varieties - derived from ICARDA lines - to their farmers for commercial growing, and Syria plans to do likewise.

Among new machines developed at ICARDA to suit local farmers' special needs is a lentil puller that ensures harvest of the plants' straw as well as the seeds. Lentil straw supplies nourishing feed for sheep, sometimes bringing the Middle Eastern farmer a greater profit than the seeds, especially in very dry seasons. As for chickpeas, the oldest remains, from 7,500 years ago, were found near Burdur in western Turkey. An Egyptian papyrus text lists the seeds as 'falcon-face,' after their beaked shape. Crushed chickpeas, along with onion juice and honey, comprise an old aphrodisiac recipe recorded in Lorna Hawtin's Chickpea Cookbook. Boiled chickpeas were advertised on the streets of old Damascus with the reverent cry, "O you on the boil, seven servants have prepared you!" - underlining the care with which they were prepared (See Aramco World, September-October 1971). Now accounting for the largest share of the region's legume production, chickpeas figure in some famous Middle Eastern dishes, particularly nutritious snacks.

They are roasted and sold in nut shops, deep-fried with other vegetables in balls called falafal, or blended into hummus bi tahinah. In the Armenian Lenten dish topig, packets of an elaborate chickpea dough are stuffed with onions, spices and tahinah. ICARDA concentrates on "kabuli" chickpeas - the large-seeded buff-colored types eaten in Arab countries and elsewhere – and has scored some dramatic advances. Studies showed that two obstacles - frost, and a fungal disease called Ascochyta blight - traditionally prevented farmers from planting in winter and kept yields low. They sowed the crop in spring to avoid the wet windy weather that fostered epidemics of the blight. But 15 new blight - and frost - resistant ICARDA varieties surmount these problems. Dr. K. B. Singh, a chickpea breeder at ICARDA, points out that the new chickpeas bred to be planted in winter yield up to twice as much as the old spring-sown types, because earlier sowing allows the plants to exploit the entire rainy season.

The future for legumes - and for the farmers who grow them in the Middle East - is clearly brighter than it was some 15 years ago, when only two scientists were conducting fulltime research on legumes in the entire region. Now, a research network spans the area, with ICARDA at the hub. More than 250 local scientists, trained in legume research at the Center, spearhead national programs that did not even exist a few years ago. Network members exchange visits and stay in touch through ICARDA's legume information services, including the technical newsletters Lens, on lentils, and Fabis, on faba beans. Crop seeds, with their precious genetic variation, also flow through the research network's conduits. At its Aleppo research farm, ICARDA shelters a priceless stock of legume seeds, along with those of other important Middle Eastern and North African crops. The Center's expeditions have sought local races of crops from Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, and Morocco.

According to Saxena, ICARDA's holding of more than 3,000 types of faba beans and 5,800 lentil types are the world's largest collection; the Center's approximately 6,000 large-seeded chickpeas are duplicated at a sister center in India. Much of this genetic heritage is "active" - that is, it is sent all over the region each year for use in breeding programs. Part of the collection is left sealed for breeders of the future, who will be able to draw upon it for legume genes that resist some insect or pest yet unknown - ensuring that crops with such ancient pedigrees will continue to provide harvests for the Middle East's - and the world's-burgeoning population. Lynn Teo Sitnarski, a free-lance writer specializing in the Middle East, was ICARDA's staff science writer during her two-year residence in Aleppo. This article appeared on pages 2-5 of the May/June 1988 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.

Full of Beans: Seventy-Five Exciting, Tasty Recipes by Brooke Dojny, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® Read an Excerpt Overview The co-author of the popular Parties and Cheap Eats now offers a delightful, delicious, and healthy cookbook for legume lovers. Advertising Editorial Reviews Library Journal Here are lots of easy recipes for bean dishes, many of them vegetarian, from a prolific cookbook author and Bon Appetit columnist. Red Pepper Hummus, Moroccan Tomato and Chickpea Salad, and Lamb and White Bean Stew are among the dishes featured. There are other bean cookbooks, but these legumes are a favorite ingredient right now, and most libraries could add this inexpensive paperback. [The Good Cook of BOMC and Better Homes & Garden Book Club selections.] Product Details Read an Excerpt Introduction Who would ever think, looking at a handful of dried beanspebble-hard, utterly inediblethat when cooked, they are transformed into one of the most delicious foods on earth? That almost alchemic transmutation is but the first step on the fascinating road to discovering the sometimes hidden charms of legumes. Beans are at long last finding the respect they deserve.

High in protein, soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals; low in fat; an excellent replacement for meat; the versatile medium for all manner of seasonings; and inexpensive, beans are being heavily touted by nutritionists and are suddenly the pampered darlings of restaurant chefs. Home cooks are learning, too, about the many virtues of the legume, and are looking for sophisticated new, heart-healthy recipes, including revisions of classics as well as fresh approaches to the bean theme. This book provides just that. American favorites such as Low Country Hoppin' John, Burgundy Street Red Beans 'n' Rice, and New England "From Scratch" Baked Beans are updated for the modern cook. Such international classics as Cassoulet with Herbed Pepper Crumb Crust, Havana "Moors and Christians," Soupe au Pistou, Pinto Bean and Jalape€o Quesadillas, and Gingered and Curried Red Lentils are translated and simplified for the American kitchen. Beans are also used in new and fresh ways.

Cannellini "Pesto" with Baguette Toasts, Angel's Hell-Fire Texas Black Bean Caviar, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew, Broiled Sea Bass on Green Lentil Salad, and Red Pepper Hummus are some of the contemporary recipes in the book. Bean Typing On a recent visit to my localspecialty food market, I found all the common varieties of dried beans such as black, kidney, lentils, pinto, and navy beans. I also found Appaloosas, calypso beans, Swedish brown beans, Tongues of Fire, European soldier beans, rice beans, Maine yelloweyes, and wren's egg beans. Dozens and dozens of varieties exist, and, in an exciting new trend, growers such as Phipp's Ranch in California and Gary Nabhan at Native Seeds/SEARCH in Arizona are experimenting with cultivating heirloom beans that might have otherwise been lost to posterity. Varieties in the color and shape of beans are their most noticeable characteristics, but subtle differences in flavor are also apparent. Here's a brief description of some of the most common beans. Black Beans. Small, kidney-shaped, and shiny black, these beans have an earthy flavor that some describe as mushroomlike.

A staple ingredient in Latin American countries, black beans are becoming very popular here, as well. Also known as turtle beans. Black-Eyed Peas. A cream-colored kidney-shaped bean with a purple black "keel," this bean is associated with southern U.S. cooking as well as Africa and India. Black-eyed peas are widely available frozen and are also dried. Chick-Peas. Pale tan, firm, and nutty-tasting, these are popular in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India. Chick-peas are the main ingredient in hummus, a famous pur‚e or spread made with tahini. Chick-peas are also known as garbanzos and ceci. Cranberry Beans. Large, pale pink beans with beige mottling, cranberry beans turn an even pinky brown when cooked. They have a mild, sweet, nutlike flavor and are used extensively in Italian cooking. Cranberry beans can be used interchangeably with pinto beans. They are also known as Roman beans and borlotti beans. Dal. Dal is the generic name in India for all legumes, including lentils, peas, and beans. Fava Beans.

A large, pale green, earthy-flavored bean, the fava is available fresh in the spring and is a rare seasonal treat when shelled and eaten fresh. The beans are removed from their large green pods, blanched in boiling water, and then the tough skins are removed. When dried, favas turn light brown. Favas are sometimes also known as broad beans, though technically they are similar but not identical. Great Northern Beans. Small, oval white beans with a mild flavor and slightly mealy texture, these beans can almost always be interchanged in recipes with other white beans such as navy beans. They stand up well to long, slow cooking, and are often used for traditional baked beans. Kidney Beans. Large, sturdy, richly flavored beans that come in dark red, light red, and white. The red kidney bean is often used in the American Southwest in chili, the pink kidney bean is the "red bean" in New Orleans red beans and rice, and the white are the much-used Italian "cannellini." Lentils. Available in various colors, including green, brown, and red, lentils are one of the oldest known cultivated foods.

The disk-shaped, quick-cooking lentil is used in countless dishes throughout the world. Mung Beans. Native to Asia, these small round beans are used there primarily to make bean sprouts. In India they are dried and eaten either whole or husked and split (mung dal), where they are also known as black gram, split golden gram, and urad dal. Pinto Beans. Beige in color, with brownish streaks on the skin (resembling the coloration of a pinto pony), the pinto bean is associated with Mexican and South American cooking. Split Peas. These are peas (both green and yellow) that are husked, dried, and split in half. Split peas need no soaking, and cook to a soft pur‚e in soups in under an hour. Legume Lore and History While I generally refer in this book to "beans," what I'm technically referring to are members of the legume family. Legumesseeds that grow in a podinclude lentils, peas, split peas, and peanuts, as well as all of the beans such as soy, garbanzo, pinto, and many others.

Legumes are among the oldest foods known to mankind and can be traced as far back as the Bronze Age. In biblical lore, a dish of lentils and rice that is still a favorite in the Middle East is said to be the infamous "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright. Before the extensive cross-pollination of foodstuffs that took place worldwide during the Age of Discovery, each portion of the globe cultivated its own types of beanssoy and mung in Asia, chick-peas, lentils, and fava beans in the Mediterranean, and all types of haricots (kidney beans, pintos, navy beans) in the Americas. For millennia, beans have helped provide the cornerstone of the staple diets of large numbers of the world's people, with nearly every regional cuisine featuring delicious, nutritious bean dishes. The Nutritious Bean Beans have been called the "near-perfect food," and they play a key role in the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid. Beans are high in complex carbohydrates, nonmeat protein, and dietary fiber, and are chock-full of vitamins and minerals.

All legumes are well endowed with B vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, B6, and folic acid, and some contain Vitamin A. In general, beans are rich in iron, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, and potassium. Beans contain zero cholesterol and derive only 2 to 5 percent of their calories from fat (the exception being soybeans, which are about 34 percent fat). Additionally, some studies have actually shown that legumes can help control blood cholesterol by fighting the deposit of platelets in veins and arteries. Of course, the trace amounts of fat in beans, as in all vegetables, is of the polyunsaturated variety. Eating meals rich in beans can help people on weight reduction diets. Beans are digested slowly, thus promoting a longer-lasting feeling of fullness by delaying the return of hunger pangs. Because they provoke a lower insulin response than do other carbohydrates such as bread, cereals, potatoes, and pasta, beans can also be a real boon to diabetics and hypoglycemics.

While beans are our best nonmeat source of protein, the protein is incomplete, lacking the essential amino acid methionine (as is the case with all plant sources of food). Nutritionists don't worry too much about this missing amino acid, assuming that what you might miss in one meal, you make up in another. Storage and Cooking of Dried Beans Dried beans need to be rehydrated by cooking in simmering water. As with all ingredients from nature, many variables will affect the cooked result, including the age of the beans and how they've been handled and stored, the altitude at which the beans are cooked (at higher elevations they take longer to soften), and the degree of water hardness (more minerals can make for longer cooking times). Furthermore, acid ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar, or citrus juices will greatly retard beans' cooking times if added early on during the cooking process. Healthy Benefits Of: Lentil Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.87 mg (67%) Folate (Vit. B9) 479 µg (120%) Iron 7.5 mg (60%) Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA Nutrient database Lentils contain high levels of proteins, including the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine, and are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world for those who adhere to a vegetarian diet. Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cysteine. However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cysteine. Apart from a high level of proteins, lentils also contain dietary fiber, folate, vitamin B1, and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%). Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish. Lentils also have "anti-nutritional factors" such as trypsin inhibitors and relatively high phytate content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion and phytates reduce the bioavailability of dietary minerals. The phytates can be reduced by soaking the lentils in warm water overnight.

Iron content Lentils are a good vegetable source of iron. This makes them useful for preventing iron deficiency. Iron is particularly important for adolescents and pregnant women, whose requirements for it are increased. It is also important for those who have Celiac disease, in whom iron is a common deficiency. Production Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought and are grown throughout the world. About a third of the worldwide production of lentils is from India, most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. The Palouse Region of Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle, with its commercial center at Pullman, WA, constitutes the most important producing region in the United States. FAO reports that world production of lentils for calendar year 2008 is 3.874 million metric tonnes, primarily coming from Canada, India, Nepal and United States. National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports United States 2007 production at 154.5 thousand metric tonnes, primarily coming from North Dakota, Montana, Washington, and Idaho.

Statistics Canada estimates that Canadian lentil production for the 2009/10 year is a record 1.5 million metric tonnes. Top ten lentil producers – 2008 Country Production (tonnes) Footnote United States 108,545 World 3,873,801 A No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data, C = Calculated figure A = Aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates); Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Division Current United States production numbers can be found at the NASS database here by selecting the desired items. In culture Lentils were the main ingredient in food of ancient Iranians. Iranians consumed lentils daily in form of stew that was poured over rice. Lentils are mentioned many times in the Old Testament, the first time recounting the incident in which Jacob purchases the birthright from Esau with stewed lentils (a "mess of pottage") In Jewish mourning tradition, they are considered as food for mourners, together with boiled eggs.

The reason is that their round shape symbolizes the life cycle from birth to death. In Shia narrations, Lentils are attributed to be blessed by seventy Prophets including Jesus and Mohammed. In Italy eating lentils on New Year's Eve traditionally symbolizes the wish to earn more money next year, most likely because of their round coin-like shape. In the Grimm's Fairy Tales "Cinderella" one of the tasks her step-mother assigns to Cinderella is fishing lentils out of ash. If she is successful in this then she may go to the ball. Preparation Lentils should not be eaten raw, due to the presence of anti-nutrients such as phytic acid and tannins; some types of lentils require soaking overnight before cooking as well. The seeds require a cooking time of 10–30 minutes, depending on the variety (shorter for small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil) and have a distinctive earthy flavor. Lentils are used throughout South Asia, the Mediterranean regions and the Middle East. 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 or mejadra. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi, a popular Indian dish; a similar dish, kushari, is made in Egypt and considered one of two national dishes. Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America, sometimes combined with some form of chicken or pork. Dried lentils can also be sprouted by leaving in water for several days. This changes their nutrition profile. Types French Green/Puy lentils (Dark speckled blue-green) Green Masoor (Brown-skinned lentils which are orange inside) Petite Crimson/Red (Decorticated masoor lentils) Macachiados (Big Mexican yellow lentils) Background The plant likely originated in the Near East, and lentils have been part of the human diet since the aceramic (non-pottery producing) Neolithic times, being one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East.

With approximately 26% of their calories from protein, lentils and generally any pulses or legumes have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any plant-based food after soybeans and hemp and is an important part of the diet in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent which has large vegetarian populations. Lentil is also commonly used in Ethiopia as a stew like dish called Kik, or Kik Wot, which is one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, the Injera flat bread. The yellow lentils are used to make a non spicy stew like dish, which is one of the first solid foods Ethiopian women feed to their babies. A variety of pulses or lentils exists with colors that range from yellow to red-orange to green, brown and black. Red, white and yellow lentils in some cases are peeled, i.e., are those that have their skins removed before being sold. There are large and small varieties of many lentils (e.g., Masoor Lentils, shown in photos here). Lentils are sold in many forms, with or without the skins, whole or split.

Culturally, other pulses are sometimes called lentils but are actually beans or peas, e.g. "black lentils" (urad beans). The lentil (Lens culinaris) (International Feed Number, 5-02-506) is a type of pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds. It is about 40 centimetres (16 in) tall and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. Exaltation Soups : Soul-Satisfying Story Soup, As Told More Than 100 Recipes Patricia Solley Paperback NON-FICTION ENGLISH 9781400050352 RANDOM HOUSE COOKING BOOKS $12.45 At Keenzo.com our customers come first. If a product is out of stock, we always do our best to help you find it, even if it means sending you to another store! We've provided a convenient link directly to this item at a store we believe may have it in stock for you to buy today.

If you still can't find it, please use the 'ALERT ME' button above to have our staff email you the moment this item is restocked at Keenzo.com. Annotation: A delectable array of more than one hundred soup recipes from around the world is accompanied by intriguing information on the people, places, and cultures that spawned them, as well as poetry, folktales, regional traditions, and more. Original. 15,000 first printing. Author : Patricia Solley BISAC Subject : Cooking / General, Cooking / History Book Type : NON-FICTION Denmark: Meatball and Dumpling Soup (Klarsuppe) 48(3) To Celebrate Marriage . . .

and Recover from the Rigors of the Honeymoon 51(24) China: Red Bean and Lotus Seed Soup (Hung dau linjee tong) 52(2) France: Breton Wedding Soup (Soupe de mariage Bretagne) 54(2) France: Breton Honeymoon Soup (Soupe a l'oignon ``Johnny'') 56(2) Guatemala: Lamb Soup with Tamales (Caldo de carnero) 58(2) Hungary: Chicken Soup with ``Snail'' Pasta (Tyukhusleves) 60(3) Italy: Wedding Soup with Meatballs (Zuppa maritata) 63(2) Italy: Egg and Wine Honeymoon Soup (Ginestrata) 65(2) Japan: Fresh Clam Soup (Hamaguri no sumashi-jiru) 67(2) Morocco: Wedding Lamb Soup with Rice and Beans (Harira) 69(2) Turkey: Bride Soup (Ezo Gelin corbasi) 71(2) Turkey: Spicy Beef Wedding Soup (Dugun corbasi) 73(2) Bolivia: Christmas Chicken

 Soup (Picana de pollo para Navidad) 306(2) Chile: Conger Eel (or Fish) Chowder (Caldillo de congrio [pescado]) 308(3) Czech Republic: Christmas Fish Soup (Vanocni rybi polevka) 311(2) Finland: Christmas Dried Fruit Soup (Sekahedelmakeitto) 313(2) Greece: Lemon Soup (Soupa avgolemono) 315(2) Hungary: Christmas Wine Soup (Borleves) 317(2) Ireland: Beef Consomme with Irish Whiskey (``Dessicated'' Soup) 319(2) Italy: Chicken Escarole Soup (Minestra di Natale) 321(2) New Zealand: Green Clam Soup (Toheroa Chowder) 323(2) Poland: Mushroom Soup (Zupa grzybowa) 325(2) Puerto Rico: Christmas Chicken Soup (Asopao de pollo) 327(2) Russia: Christmas Beet Soup (Borshch) 329(

3) Slovakia: Sour Cabbage and Mushroom Soup (Kapustnica) 332(2) Spain: Iced White Almond Soup (Andalusian Ajoblanco) 334(2) United States: New Orleans Seafood Gumbo 336(2) Amazing soup!

(how sweet the taste!) That ﬁll’d a wretch like me! I once did hunger, now am sate; Did thirst, am now replete. ’Twas soup that ﬁlled my heart with pain And soup that pain reliev’d; How precious did that soup appear, When I was lost and grieved. Thro’ many sauces, salads and sweets, I have already bent; ’Tis soup that gratiﬁed my need, And soup that does content. The Lord has promis’d broth to me, His word my hope secures; He will my consommé provide, As long as life endures. Yes, when this meat and bone shall fail, And mortal life shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, Some vichysoisse and peace. This earth shall soon dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; But borscht, which call’d me here below, Will be for ever mine. –Jerry Newman, contemporary Canadian poet and novelist 1 The Origins and History of Soup Stone Age people created soup before they had a pot to cook it in, a bowl to serve it in, or a gourd to drink it from.

In fact, it’s not completely clear who ﬁrst stumbled onto the concept of soup–anthropologists disagree, depending on their read of existing artifacts. Some say it was one of the Homo sapiens gang, sometime after 80,000 b.c.e.–either the Neanderthals or the Cro-Magnons who ultimately did those poor Neanderthals in. Others argue for a later generation–Neolithic man, around 10,000 b.c.e. I kind of like the Neanderthal theory. It was a particularly tough and dangerous world back then. These hunter-gatherers were stuck in the last blast of an Ice Age that killed off much of their food and many species. It was every man for himself as the Neanderthals ran fearfully from–and ran hungrily after–woolly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, wolves, and other hominids. And yet elderly Neanderthal skeletons have been found in France with teeth worn down below gum level–and deeply crippled skeletons have been found, too.

This means that some older or sickly prehistoric men had been kept alive only through the compassion of their communities and the brilliance of someone who could create hot and soupy food alternatives to incredibly cold indigestible plants and tough meat. I try to put myself under the toque of that Stone Age Julia Child. I imagine him or her using bark to dip and carry water . . . putting food in the water and noticing it soften or swell . . . marking how plants and berries, meat and marrow chunks would infuse the water with color and ﬂavor. I imagine him or her getting the idea of warming the broth from the warm mother’s milk that kept little Neanderthal babies happy. Soup! It’s an unbelievable achievement–a matter of thought overreaching what was technologically possible at the time. In the words of anthropologist Sally McBrearty: “The earliest Homo sapiens probably had the cognitive capability to invent Sputnik . . . but didn’t yet have the history of invention or a need for those things.” But soup? Yes, he needed soup. He needed soup, so he imagined soup. He imagined soup, so he brought it into being, despite his lack of pots to cook it in.

In fact, soup turned out to be a transforming concept that changed early man’s relationship to nature, increased his life choices, and created completely new needs and desires. One eon he’s a vegetarian in the garden of Eden, the next he’s scavenging or hunting raw ﬂesh and sucking bone marrow . . . then, almost suddenly, he’s ﬁgured out an unbelievably complex process with tools to produce a hot meal. It’s a gastronomic miracle, and it’s art: multiple colors, multiple textures, multiple ﬂavors–something created by man that had never existed before in the history of the world. But how on earth could early man in 10,000 b.c.e., at the latest, have boiled things . . . without the pottery that he ﬁnally created in 6,000 b.c.e. and the cauldrons that followed in 3,600 b.c.e.? How Can You Make Soup Without Pots? I propose two theories. First, prehistoric man might have boiled animals in their skins.

He could have ﬂayed his prey, suspending the skin on forked sticks, ﬁlling the bag with water and food, and lighting a ﬁre underneath. The skin would not catch ﬁre because it would be cooked by the boiling water on the inside (but don’t try this trick at home). In fact, this technique has been used by many cultures in recorded history, from Scythians in ﬁfth century b.c.e. to Irish and Scots in the sixteenth century. Second, our ancestors might have used the “hot stone” method. First you dig a hole or ﬁnd one, and ﬁll it with water. Then you build a ﬁre close by and heat stones in it. Then, one by one, and v-e-r-y carefully, you transfer the stones to the water until it boils. And it will. Stones can be heated to a temperature of 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit in a well-laid hearth. How do I know that? Because in 1954, archeologist Michael J.

O’Kelly proved it in experiments with his students at primeval Irish sites: “They used the hearths to heat stones, used a dampened wooden shovel to dump them in the water, brought the water to a boil, and simmered a 10-pound leg of mutton for 3 hours 40 minutes by adding stones every few minutes. . . . Then they ate the results: ‘excellently cooked and most tasty.’ ”* What Went into the Earliest Soups? After those ﬁrst catch-as-catch-can soups of wild plants and animals, and after vast ﬁelds of grain sprang up in Europe and Asia, it turned out to be grains and beans–early man’s ﬁrst agricultural triumphs in Neolithic times–that went into soup. By 7000 b.c.e., Emmer wheat had been domesticated in Turkey, and barley, millet, and beans in Greece. By 5000 b.c.e., rice was being cultivated in China. These were the stuff of early soups. And, of course, these remain our most revered modern comfort foods. Read on.

Grains cooked in broth continue to be lovingly prepared in most cultures: porridges and gruels from ground wheat; couscous soups and farina soups; barley soups and tsampas; oatmeal soups and rice congee. Imagine the astonished look on ancient man’s face when he ﬁrst witnessed the miracle of chemistry–when heating caused these cereal grains to release starch granules into the broth and make it thick. Bean/pea soup was in vogue long before Esau sold his birthright for it (that biblical “mess of pottage” was lentil soup), and it is an established part of every cuisine in the world without exception–every one! From feijoada in Brazil, to huku ne dovi in Zimbabwe, to misoshiru in Japan, and everything in between. And then there’s the ancient variation of ground wheat made into a bread that turns so hard without today’s modern preservatives that it can be made edible again only by pouring boiling broth over it. I know this bread from years I spent living in Morocco: that marvelous freshly baked kisra–a thick Frisbee of chewy bread–would turn to stone in 24 hours.

This is called “sop,” when dunked in hot liquid, the origin of our words soup, soupe, sup, sopa, soppe, zuppe, shorba, çorbasi. This combination is the basis of Portuguese sopa secos and asordas; Arabic shorbas; Spanish garlic soup; French panades, onion soup, and garbure; Italian aquacotta; Danish ollebrod, Estonian leivasupp, and French l’aïgo boulido. You’ll ﬁnd an Egyptian fatta soup on page 248 whose very name means to break crisped pita bread into food. So there you have it. This part of our everyday cuisine, this soup that we take so much for granted, began life as a miracle of intellection, kept humankind alive through extremes of privation over the ages, and now serves to bind our common humanity, nurse our ills, and mark life’s passages. When I ponder soup, I think of ancient Tollund Man, dug out of a Danish peat bog in the 1950s and perfectly preserved.

He’d been ritually sacriﬁced to the gods–strangled–but ﬁrst given a ﬁne last meal, still intact in his stomach. What was it? You know what it was: it was soup. A thick soup of grain and weed seeds ground in a hand mill and boiled. Excerpted from An Exaltation of Soups by Patricia Solley Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. Copyright (C) 2004 by Patricia Solley All right reserved. Lentil : definition of Lentil and synonyms of Lentil (English) Masoor (brown-skinned lentils which are orange inside) Petite crimson/red (decorticated masoor lentils) Macachiados (big Mexican yellow lentils) The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety — shorter for small varieties with the husk removed, such as the common red lentil — and have a distinctive, earthy flavor.

Lentils are used throughout South Asia , the Mediterranean regions and West Asia . They are frequently combined with rice , which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in western Asia as mujaddara or mejadra. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi , a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent (India and Pakistan); a similar dish, kushari , made in Egypt , is considered one of two national dishes . Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup all over Europe and North and South America , sometimes combined with some form of chicken or pork . Dried lentils can also be sprouted by soaking in water for one day and keeping moist for several days, which changes their nutrition profile. Lentils with husk remain whole with moderate cooking; lentils without husk tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which leads to quite different dishes. [2] Nutritional value and health benefits Lentils, raw (dry weight) Source: USDA Nutrient Database With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein , by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp .

[3] Proteins include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine , and lentils are an essential source of inexpensive protein in many parts of the world, especially in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent , which have large vegetarian populations. [4] Lentils are deficient in two essential amino acids, methionine and cysteine . [5] However, sprouted lentils contain sufficient levels of all essential amino acids, including methionine and cysteine. [6] Lentils also contain dietary fiber , folate , vitamin B1 , and minerals. Red (or pink) lentils contain a lower concentration of fiber than green lentils (11% rather than 31%). [7] Health magazine has selected lentils as one of the five healthiest foods. [8] Lentils are often mixed with grains, such as rice, which results in a complete protein dish. Lentils also have antinutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and relatively high phytate content. Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the bioavailability of dietary minerals. [9] The phytates can be reduced by soaking the lentils in warm water overnight.

Lentils are a good source of iron . [10] Production Lentil output in 2005 Worldwide lentil production Lentils are relatively tolerant to drought, and are grown throughout the world. The FAO reported that the world production of lentils for calendar year 2009 was 3.917 million metric tonnes, primarily coming from Canada, India, Turkey and the United States. About a quarter of the worldwide production of lentils is from India , most of which is consumed in the domestic market. Canada is the largest export producer of lentils in the world,[ citation needed ] and Saskatchewan is the most important producing region in Canada. Statistics Canada estimates that Canadian lentil production for the 2009/10 year is a record 1.5 million metric tonnes. [11] The Palouse region of eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle, with its commercial center at Pullman, Washington , constitute the most important lentil-producing region in the United States. [12] Montana and North Dakota are also significant lentil growers. [1] The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported United States 2007 production at 154.5 thousand metric tonnes.

Top ten lentil producers – 2009 Country Current United States production numbers can be found at the NASS database here by selecting the desired items. Lentils can be used for stuffing and are very useful as of their softness. Diseases Main article: List of lentil diseases In culture Lentils are mentioned many times in the Hebrew Bible , the first time recounting the incident in which Jacob purchases the birthright from Esau with stewed lentils (a " mess of pottage "). [13] In Jewish mourning tradition, they are considered as food for mourners, together with boiled eggs , because their round shape symbolizes the life cycle from birth to death. Lentils were the main ingredient in the diet of ancient Iranians, who consumed lentils daily in the form of a stew poured over rice. Lentils are also commonly used in Ethiopia in a stew-like dish called kik, or kik wot, one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, injera flat bread. Yellow lentils are used to make a nonspicy stew, which is one of the first solid foods Ethiopian women feed their babies.

In Shia narrations, lentils are said to be blessed by seventy Prophets including Jesus and Mohammed. [14] In Italy, eating lentils on New Year's Eve traditionally symbolizes the hope for a prosperous new year, most likely because of their round, coin-like form.[ citation needed ] In " Cinderella ", one of Grimm's Fairy Tales , Cinderella's stepmother assigns to Cinderella the task of fishing lentils out of ash. If she succeeds, she may go to the ball. See also Legume Lore and History Legume Lore and History : Seventy-Five Exciting, Tasty Recipes © Copyright 1996 by Brooke Dojny Who would ever think, looking at a handful of dried beansâpebble-hard, utterly inedibleâthat when cooked, they are transformed into one of the most delicious foods on earth? That almost alchemic transmutation is but the first step on the fascinating road to discovering the sometimes hidden charms of legumes. Beans are at long last finding the respect they deserve.

High in protein, soluble fiber, vitamins, and minerals; low in fat; an excellent replacement for meat; the versatile medium for all manner of seasonings; and inexpensive, beans are being heavily touted by nutritionists and are suddenly the pampered darlings of restaurant chefs. Home cooks are learning, too, about the many virtues of the legume, and are looking for sophisticated new, heart-healthy recipes, including revisions of classics as well as fresh approaches to the bean theme. This book provides just that. American favorites such as Low Country Hoppin' John, Burgundy Street Red Beans 'n' Rice, and New England "From Scratch" Baked Beans are updated for the modern cook. Such international classics as Cassoulet with Herbed Pepper Crumb Crust, Havana "Moors and Christians," Soupe au Pistou, Pinto Bean and Jalapeâ¬o Quesadillas, and Gingered and Curried Red Lentils are translated and simplified for the American kitchen. Beans are also used in new and fresh ways.

Cannellini "Pesto" with Baguette Toasts, Angel's Hell-Fire Texas Black Bean Caviar, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew, Broiled Sea Bass on Green Lentil Salad, and Red Pepper Hummus are some of the contemporary recipes in the book. Bean Typing On a recent visit to my localspecialty food market, I found all the common varieties of dried beans such as black, kidney, lentils, pinto, and navy beans. I also found Appaloosas, calypso beans, Swedish brown beans, Tongues of Fire, European soldier beans, rice beans, Maine yelloweyes, and wren's egg beans. Dozens and dozens of varieties exist, and, in an exciting new trend, growers such as Phipp's Ranch in California and Gary Nabhan at Native Seeds/SEARCH in Arizona are experimenting with cultivating heirloom beans that might have otherwise been lost to posterity. Varieties in the color and shape of beans are their most noticeable characteristics, but subtle differences in flavor are also apparent. Here's a brief description of some of the most common beans. Black Beans. Small, kidney-shaped, and shiny black, these beans have an earthy flavor that some describe as mushroomlike.

A staple ingredient in Latin American countries, black beans are becoming very popular here, as well. Also known as turtle beans. Black-Eyed Peas. A cream-colored kidney-shaped bean with a purple black "keel," this bean is associated with southern U.S. cooking as well as Africa and India. Black-eyed peas are widely available frozen and are also dried. Chick-Peas. Pale tan, firm, and nutty-tasting, these are popular in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and India. Chick-peas are the main ingredient in hummus, a famous purâe or spread made with tahini. Chick-peas are also known as garbanzos and ceci. Cranberry Beans. Large, pale pink beans with beige mottling, cranberry beans turn an even pinky brown when cooked. They have a mild, sweet, nutlike flavor and are used extensively in Italian cooking. Cranberry beans can be used interchangeably with pinto beans. They are also known as Roman beans and borlotti beans. Dal. Dal is the generic name in India for all legumes, including lentils, peas, and beans. Fava Beans.

A large, pale green, earthy-flavored bean, the fava is available fresh in the spring and is a rare seasonal treat when shelled and eaten fresh. The beans are removed from their large green pods, blanched in boiling water, and then the tough skins are removed. When dried, favas turn light brown. Favas are sometimes also known as broad beans, though technically they are similar but not identical. Great Northern Beans. Small, oval white beans with a mild flavor and slightly mealy texture, these beans can almost always be interchanged in recipes with other white beans such as navy beans. They stand up well to long, slow cooking, and are often used for traditional baked beans. Kidney Beans. Large, sturdy, richly flavored beans that come in dark red, light red, and white. The red kidney bean is often used in the American Southwest in chili, the pink kidney bean is the "red bean" in New Orleans red beans and rice, and the white are the much-used Italian "cannellini." Lentils. Available in various colors, including green, brown, and red, lentils are one of the oldest known cultivated foods.

The disk-shaped, quick-cooking lentil is used in countless dishes throughout the world. Mung Beans. Native to Asia, these small round beans are used there primarily to make bean sprouts. In India they are dried and eaten either whole or husked and split (mung dal), where they are also known as black gram, split golden gram, and urad dal. Pinto Beans. Beige in color, with brownish streaks on the skin (resembling the coloration of a pinto pony), the pinto bean is associated with Mexican and South American cooking. Split Peas. These are peas (both green and yellow) that are husked, dried, and split in half. Split peas need no soaking, and cook to a soft purâe in soups in under an hour. Legume Lore and History While I generally refer in this book to "beans," what I'm technically referring to are members of the legume family. Legumesâseeds that grow in a podâinclude lentils, peas, split peas, and peanuts, as well as all of the beans such as soy, garbanzo, pinto, and many others.

Legumes are among the oldest foods known to mankind and can be traced as far back as the Bronze Age. In biblical lore, a dish of lentils and rice that is still a favorite in the Middle East is said to be the infamous "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright. Before the extensive cross-pollination of foodstuffs that took place worldwide during the Age of Discovery, each portion of the globe cultivated its own types of beansâsoy and mung in Asia, chick-peas, lentils, and fava beans in the Mediterranean, and all types of haricots (kidney beans, pintos, navy beans) in the Americas. For millennia, beans have helped provide the cornerstone of the staple diets of large numbers of the world's people, with nearly every regional cuisine featuring delicious, nutritious bean dishes. The Nutritious Bean Beans have been called the "near-perfect food," and they play a key role in the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid. Beans are high in complex carbohydrates, nonmeat protein, and dietary fiber, and are chock-full of vitamins and minerals.

All legumes are well endowed with B vitamins, including thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, B6, and folic acid, and some contain Vitamin A. In general, beans are rich in iron, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, and potassium. Beans contain zero cholesterol and derive only 2 to 5 percent of their calories from fat (the exception being soybeans, which are about 34 percent fat). Additionally, some studies have actually shown that legumes can help control blood cholesterol by fighting the deposit of platelets in veins and arteries. Of course, the trace amounts of fat in beans, as in all vegetables, is of the polyunsaturated variety. Eating meals rich in beans can help people on weight reduction diets. Beans are digested slowly, thus promoting a longer-lasting feeling of fullness by delaying the return of hunger pangs. Because they provoke a lower insulin response than do other carbohydrates such as bread, cereals, potatoes, and pasta, beans can also be a real boon to diabetics and hypoglycemics.

While beans are our best nonmeat source of protein, the protein is incomplete, lacking the essential amino acid methionine (as is the case with all plant sources of food). Nutritionists don't worry too much about this missing amino acid, assuming that what you might miss in one meal, you make up in another. Storage and Cooking of Dried Beans Dried beans need to be rehydrated by cooking in simmering water. As with all ingredients from nature, many variables will affect the cooked result, including the age of the beans and how they've been handled and stored, the altitude at which the beans are cooked (at higher elevations they take longer to soften), and the degree of water hardness (more minerals can make for longer cooking times). Furthermore, acid ingredients such as tomatoes, vinegar, or citrus juices will greatly retard beans' cooking times if added early on during the cooking process.

lentil soup : definition of lentil soup and synonyms of lentil soup (English) History and literature Red lentil soup Lentils were unearthed in the Paleolithic and Mesolithic layers of Franchthi Cave in Greece (13,000 to 9,500 years ago), in the end-Mesolithic at Mureybet and Tell Abu Hureyra in Syria, and sites dating to 8000 BC in the area of Jericho . The ancient Greeks were lovers of lentil soup, as attested to by a comment by Aristophanes : "You, who dare insult lentil soup, sweetest of delicacies." [1] Lentil soup is mentioned in the Bible : In Genesis 25:30-34, Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup (a " mess of pottage " in some versions) being cooked by his brother, Jacob . Varieties Lentil soup may include vegetables such as carrots , potatoes , celery , parsley , and onion . Common flavorings are garlic , bay leaf , cumin , olive oil , and vinegar .

It is sometimes garnished with croutons or chopped herbs or butter , olive oil , cream or yogurt . Indian lentil soup contains a variety of aromatic spices. In the Middle East, the addition of lemon juice adds a pungent tang. [2] Nutrition Types of lentils used in lentil soup Lentil soup is recognized as highly nutritious , a good source of protein , dietary fiber , iron and potassium . [3] Hippocrates prescribed lentils for patients with liver ailments. [4] See also

Question: Esau sold his birthright for a 'mess of pottage'. What is the main ingredient of this dish?
Answer: LENTILS