العدس البلدي الفلسطيني
Most of the lentils is grown in Jenin area namely Sanour, Maythaloun and Qabatia. Non local verities are dominating, while the local variety is focused in another village called Zababdeh. However, it could be present in other villages, but there are no records or information about its distribution.
Palestinian Lentils Local variety is characterized by small seeds. Seeds once hull is removed looks yellowish. It is tasty and fast ripening during cooking.
The lentil is an annual plant that is about 40 cm tall, and the seeds grow in pods, usually with two seeds in each. It is a winter crop grown in November.
Lentil crop is harvested manually during May. Seeds are separated using a mechanical thresher.
Cooked lentils (when boiled) are a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value), of numerous essential nutrients, including folate, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. They are a good source of several nutrients including thiamine pantothenic acid vitamin B6, magnesium, copper, and zinc. Lentils have the second-highest ratio of protein to food energy of any legume, after soybeans. Lentils contain the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Lentil was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and then spread to Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and other parts of the globe.
The native variety of lentils can be only found in Zababdeh village with one farmer. There are 400 holding growing lentils as one of their crops. The total lentil ( of different varieties) cultivated area is 1430 dunums produces 200 tons
The local production is sold in grain shops as well as sold directly by farmers themselves. Imported lentils exists in all grocery shops.
Farmers used to fill in their stock of lentils in pottery jars and keep on the rooftops through summer months. According to farmers this practice improves the quality of the lentils in terms of color, it becomes more yellowish, it ripens faster during cooking and taste becomes much better
The seeds require a cooking time of 10 to 40 minutes, depending on the variety.
They are frequently combined with rice, which has a similar cooking time, however lentil is usuall added to boiling water before rice. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in Levantine countries as mujaddara or mejadra. a similar dish, kushari, made in Egypt, is considered one of important cheap dish for poor.
Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup. It is a basic ingredient of many traditional dishes like “Reqaq, Reshtah, Mesalwa’ah”.
