For our first test, we prepared the lentils according to packaged directions (cooked on the stovetop) and sampled them plain.
Our tastings revealed textural differences between the lentils—some packages produced firm lentils that were all or mostly intact, while others gave us softer lentils whose texture varied from lentil to lentil. To try to understand why, we examined the lentil packages. All contained just one ingredient—lentils—and the slight variations in fat, fiber, and protein contents between the products didn’t track with our notes on textural differences. They had all become similar shades of brown once cooked, and we didn’t prefer one color to another. The packages offered very little information: Three were labeled as green, one was labeled as brown, and one simply said “lentils.”
After pressing the companies for more information, we learned that a few use “laird” lentils. Kirstin Bett, a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, near where much of the world’s lentils are grown, explained that “laird” is a marketing term denoting a broad style of lentil, not a specific variety or strain. In fact, Bett estimated that there are about a dozen different varieties of green and brown lentils currently cultivated and packaged for sale, and they all have slightly different traits. Farmers generally pick a variety for practical reasons, such as disease resistance and seed availability. Some varieties are prone to losing their seed coats during cooking, which could explain why two samples had so many loose skins while others did not. Bett said that researchers are still studying this phenomenon with the aim of breeding varieties of green and brown lentils with hardier seed coats that don’t slip off so easily.
We also learned that although most farmers grow just one variety, some lentil processing plants mix lentils from multiple farmers and fields. This creates inconsistency, as the different lentil varieties may require different cooking times to become tender. The environment they were grown in also influences the lentils’ quality and firmness. It’s possible that the packaged lentils that were inconsistent in texture, with both firm and mushy lentils in the same bite, were from a mix of different growers or had been harvested at different times. While we didn’t know which lentil varieties were used by the manufacturers of our higher-ranking products, it was clear that they were prioritizing consistency and lentils whose seed coats remained intact.
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