A small slate-green lentil with a delicate blue marbling. Puy lentils are considered by many to be the best lentil because of their unique peppery flavour and the fact they hold their shape during cooking. They’re the only lentil to be identified by area of cultivation – grown in the Le Puy region of France.

Serve them hot or cold as a salad starter or as an accompaniment to poultry, meat or fish dishes, or use them in soups or casseroles. Available from delis and some supermarkets, they will keep for up to a year in a cool dry cupboard.

• Information source: BBC Food
• Puy lentils taste good for instance in “Creamy Puy Lentils with Herbal Pepper”.