[Sca-cooks] Which lentils are "period"?

[Stefan li Rous]

Katharina said:
<<< The smal black ones are called Beluga-lentils  as they resemble  
Caviar. If
you put that in google you will get quite some links.
The one below has pics and descriptions of 13 different lentil varieties
including red (use mainly in the middle east, as far as I know and fast
cooking!)

http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/Black%20Beluga%20Lentils.htm >>>

I hadn't realized there were that many different lentils. Like beans,  
some of which are also on that site, there seem to be a wide variety.  
But some beans are Old World, but most are New World. Is this true of  
lentils? And even of just the Old World lentils, which ones were  
known in different regions?  Were these used in medieval Europe or  
just mostly in the Middle East?

Stefan
--------
THLord Stefan li Rous    Barony of Bryn Gwlad    Kingdom of Ansteorra
    Mark S. Harris           Austin, Texas           
StefanliRous at austin.rr.com
**** See Stefan's Florilegium files at:  http://www.florilegium.org ****