Montes Lentils

The Armuña area outside Salamanca is the only place in Spain that carries a “Denominación Especifica” (Special Appellation) for its lentils, signaling a distinction in quality and peculiarity. Among the companies here, Montes (number one in legume quality for the Castille region and probably the entirety of Spain) produces around 80,000 kilos of lentils yearly. The quality they express is undeniably select.
Raw, they demonstrate a slightly toasted green color–beautiful. After cooking, they take on a darker, more brownish green tone. Among their qualities it should be noted that their skins do not fall apart or come undone, even if they are slightly overcooked. They make for a fine broth, clear, thick and full of flavor. They are refined in the mouth and the texture is uniform and meaty, with an imperceptible skin. Another curious point: one kilo of raw lentils will produce between 2.6 and 2.7 kilos of their cooked counterparts, a difference of almost 350 grams over other lentils.