Black Lentils

Small-sized dried lentils, only from Italian lands: 25,7 g of protein per 100 g

Tiny, black and shiny, they cook in twenty minutes without soaking and remain whole: the most elegant lentil, from Italian lands.

Black Lentils from Cerqueto

Le Black Lentils from Cerqueto are dried lentils really small size, cultivated only from Italian lands and selected in the company's facilities in Acquapendente, in Alta Tuscia. The bean is small, round and shiny, a deep black that resists cooking, with a thin but tough skin that keeps it whole and firm on the plate and a pulp with a flavour full, earthy and slightly sweet, with a mineral note that light lentils don't have.

It is precisely the size that makes the difference: the smaller the seed, the higher the proportion between peel and pulp, and therefore the more intense the flavour and the quicker the cooking, which here does not require soaking and is completed in approximately twenty minutes. With 25,7 g of protein per 100 g, among the highest values ​​of any dried legume, and only 1 g of fat, lentils are for those who want substance and beauty in the same dish. Made in Italy, from the field to the bag.
 
 
 

The roots of these Black Lentils are deep in tradition

The oldest cookbook that has reached us, the Of re co-machinery attributed to Apicius, dedicates an entire chapter to lentils. The Romans called them lentil, and Apicius cooked them in ways that today seem avant-garde: lentils with chestnuts, cooked together and seasoned with honey, vinegar, pepper, and mint; lentils with leeks and coriander; lentils with mussels. These were banquet dishes, not those eaten by the poor: in Imperial Rome, lentils were served on senators' tables alongside oysters.

Black lentils are the most faithful descendant of the ancient varieties: small, dark, and with a tough skin, just like the varieties the Romans planted in the volcanic soils of Lazio before modern breeding favored larger, lighter-colored seeds. In Italy, black lentils remained in the inland hills of Sicily and a few areas of central Italy, cultivated by those who were unhurried, and have come back into fashion in recent decades for their appearance and their cooking resistance. Cerqueto selects them only from Italian fields, so that the lentils that reach the table have a homeland and a name.
 
 
 

Choosing Black Lentils means taking care of yourself

With 25,7 g of protein Per 100 g of dry product, Cerqueto black lentils are one of the most concentrated vegetable protein sources available, superior to almost all other legumes; when combined with a cereal, they provide a complete amino acid profile. 37,8 g of carbohydrates They are complex and slow-release, with just 0,76 g of sugars, for a low glycemic impact and long-lasting satiety.

The black peel is rich in Anthocyanins, the antioxidants of dark fruits, which add to the Iron, To folate, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and fiber typical of lentils. Almost no fat (1 g) and virtually no salt (0,05 g) complete an exemplary profile. The brief cooking process, without soaking, preserves water-soluble nutrients and makes this legume a practical ally: twenty minutes and a protein-rich dish, naturally gluten-free, is on the table.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Black Lentils

• LENTILS AND CHESTNUTS APICIO'S STYLE: boil the black lentils and the Organic Chestnuts peeled, until both are tender but whole. Drain and season while still hot with an emulsion of oil, a teaspoon of Forest Honeydew Honey, a spoonful of Biodynamic White Wine Vinegar, pepper and mint: a two-thousand-year-old recipe, surprisingly modern.
• VEAL FILLET ON A BED OF BLACK LENTILS: Cook the lentils al dente in broth and season with oil and pepper. Brown them in a pan Filetto, blend with half a glass of Godot Sangiovese IGT Organic and reduce. On the plate, the black lentils on the bottom, the fillet on top, the reduction all around: a restaurant-quality second course in twenty-five minutes.
• BLACK LENTIL, APPLE, AND BRIE SALAD: cool the cooked lentils and add a Organic Fuji Apple diced, leaves of Organic Lettuce broken and pieces of Brie with Chives "Fiocco della Tuscia"Oil, vinegar, salt: crunchy, sweet, and creamy, with the black of the lentils as a backdrop.

The Producer: Cerqueto

"Only from Italian lands" is a promise that holds true when it comes to lentils: most of those sold in Italy come from overseas. Cerqueto, in Acquapendente, chooses to grow and have them grown only in Italian fields, with farms it knows, and to select them in its own facilities: traceability isn't just a slogan; it's the reason the company has been around since 2001.
 
 
 

Ingredients

Dried black lentils.

May contain GLUTEN (SPELLED, BARLEY, WHEAT), SOY e LUPINS.

Made in Italy. Only from Italian soil.
 
 
 

Nutritional Values ​​(average values ​​per 100g of product)

• Energy: 1268 kJ / 301 kcal
• Fat: 1 g, of which saturated fatty acids 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 37,8 g, of which sugars 0,76 g
• Protein: 25,7 gr
• Sale: 0,05 gr

Preparation and Storage

Soaking: not necessary. Cooking time: Cook for about 20-25 minutes, starting with cold water and bringing to a gentle boil, adding salt only at the end, as with all Cerqueto legumes. Black lentils remain whole and firm. Store in a cool, dry place, away from light; after opening, store in a sealed container. Cooked lentils will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
 
 
 

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