The Planèze lentil was saved thanks to the mayor of Saint Flour in Cantal. In 1997, he spoke nostalgically of this forgotten lens and his appeal was heard. Since then, the National Agronomic Research Institute has been able to resuscitate this little wonder that is now cultivated on dozens of hectares. The peculiarity of this all blonde lens is that it is small and less floury than the others. It can be stored for three years away from light and moisture and is very rich in protein.

A classified ad would have saved a kind of lens?

This lens story is one that we could tell our children because it ends well. At the start, we speak of a blond lentil, which is also called the planeze lens and which had entirely disappeared in the 1970s due to the predominance of dairy farming. They must be picked by hand and it is binding. A reversal of the situation in 1997 when the mayor of Saint Flour in the Cantal nostalgically evokes this forgotten lens. It was the abbot who had listened at that time who decided to act and publish an SOS lens on the parish bulletin, an SOS looking for the blonde lens of the Planeze.

An advertisement which apparently did not go unanswered.

It is a grandson of a producer who found a kilo of blond lentils in a metal box and brought him to the Mayor. These lentils were given to three farmers who tried in vain to germinate them. Unable to wake the lens from sleep. It did not take a prince charming to wake up the sleeping blonde but INRA (the National Institute for Agronomic Research) which was able to resuscitate this little wonder which is today cultivated on dozens of hectares.

A lens that comes back from afar and which also has a major interest for the consumer.

The peculiarity of this all blonde lens is that it is small and less floury than the others. It must be harvested when it is dry and it is ready to put in the pan. It can be stored for three years away from light and moisture and is very rich in protein. It will be appreciated especially in a context of global warming for its great hardiness to the point that crops do not need to be irrigated. It manages on its own thanks to its deep roots. It is therefore an asset for the future, this small Cantalian lens.

To consume the Planèze blond lentils, you can order them online, but there are distributors in Paris and a few other cities.