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Lens esculenta puyensis
French: lentilles vertes
The lentil is a plant of the Papilionaceae family. Its seeds constitute a legume of exceptional flavor.
The green color is typical of this variety. The green lentil grains contain a blue pigment called anthocyanin in their yellow kernel. This combination of blue and yellow produces the characteristic green. During their development the lentils undergo severe hydric stress which hastens their maturity.
Every year when the harvest season arrives, the "New Lentil Festival" takes place in the town square of Puy-en-Velay. On this occasion producers and processors come together to offer a taste of the new crop to the assembled crowd.
In France, Berry is the main region for green lentil production. The Berry green lentil, known for its chestnut-like flavor, boasts a "Red Label" - a mark granted to products of exceptional quality - as well as a Protected Geographic Identification designation, which gives producers the exclusive right to use the designation of origin for their lentils, in recognition of the link between the product and its terroir.
In the Puy region, the green lentil takes the name of the land where almost 850 producers grow lentils on 3000 hectares, producing up to 35,000 hundredweight of lentils. One hectare of lentils brings the farmer as much as 2.5 hectares of wheat.
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