Lentilles Vertes du Puy versus common or garden green Canadian Lentils?

[slope]

Have any foodie YACFers experienced a discernible difference, other than price?

[Clare]

Not sure if I count as a foodie but no.

[Gattopardo]

Trying to think what lentils taste like, or am I a heathen? 

Then I can't tell the difference between different types of white rice but then people say different pasta shapes taste different.

[Wowbagger]

In my view lentils fall into a category of food that is good for you but has no flavour to recommend it, or might actually be a bit unpleasant. Butternut squash and courgettes are similar. They are great for bulking out curries and thickening the sauce, which is a very important culinary attribute, but you put something else in (spices/curry sauce/stock cube/meat) to add flavour.

[ian]

Lentils taste ok, they're just little beans. They do make me fart with the thrust of Saturn V rocket though.

Butternut squash is one of the blander than a blander things that I've never understood. Courgettes are OK if sauteed, but need some colour to be worthwhile. Utterly pointless when boiled or steamed (this applies to most veg, to be honest).

[Feanor]

Butternut squash is most excellent when roasted.

[ian]

Tastes likely vague stodge to me. Even pumpkin is better and that's not very good (other than in pumpkin pie).

[Regulator]

Heathens!

Lentils are fab (and there’s no real difference between the green varieties when it comes to taste) - and my coconut lentil curry is to die for.   Butternut squash is sublime roasted (particularly when a little charred around the edges)...  and you can’t beat home grown courgettes for flavour (although I love them best roasted with garlic, chilli and lime zest - perfect served with grilled fish). 

[Wowbagger]

Heathens!

Lentils are fab (and there’s no real difference between the green varieties when it comes to taste) - and my coconut lentil curry is to die for.   Butternut squash is sublime roasted (particularly when a little charred around the edges)...  and you can’t beat home grown courgettes for flavour (although I love them best roasted with garlic, chilli and lime zest - perfect served with grilled fish).

The fact that you are adding garlic, chilli and lime zest to give them flavour proves my point rather, Reg...

[hellymedic]

...all proving what I posted re choc-mint hummus a while back...

Bland foods blend.

[Ham]

Lentils used properly make a dish meaty. Used improperly, to the invention of murder.

To answer the OP, it depends. If you use them in a dish where they are allowed to be tasted, then yes (eg, I make a salad of lentils, feta, tomato etc) you can tell a difference. If you just cook them to buggery as is the fate of much lentildom, then no. Even if you can taste that they are different you might struggle in a blind tasting to identify them correctly.

[Gattopardo]

Heathens!

Lentils are fab (and there’s no real difference between the green varieties when it comes to taste) - and my coconut lentil curry is to die for.   Butternut squash is sublime roasted (particularly when a little charred around the edges)...  and you can’t beat home grown courgettes for flavour (although I love them best roasted with garlic, chilli and lime zest - perfect served with grilled fish).

The fact that you are adding garlic, chilli and lime zest to give them flavour proves my point rather, Reg...

I agree with Wowbagger.  You are adding stuff to give the lentils flavour.

[Gattopardo]

Lentils used properly make a dish meaty. Used improperly, to the invention of murder.

To answer the OP, it depends. If you use them in a dish where they are allowed to be tasted, then yes (eg, I make a salad of lentils, feta, tomato etc) you can tell a difference. If you just cook them to buggery as is the fate of much lentildom, then no. Even if you can taste that they are different you might struggle in a blind tasting to identify them correctly.

How would you cook the lentils?  Rinse and boil for 30 mins?  Stick them in a rice cooker and leave?  Steam them?

Asking as I don't know I usually lob them in the slow cooker for bulking soups or making dhal.

[ian]

They're beans. I'd always boil them first before transferring to any other cooking method (like a slow cooker). Or you're going to fart so much that you risk getting mistaken for a deflating elephant.

[Gattopardo]

They're beans. I'd always boil them first before transferring to any other cooking method (like a slow cooker). Or you're going to fart so much that you risk getting mistaken for a deflating elephant.

I take metformin.