Growing up as the son of two Pakistani immigrants, I was fortunate enough to be able to sample delectable Pakistani cuisine on an almost daily basis throughout my childhood. As almost any South Asian will tell you, Daal, or a variety of lentils, is considered a staple that is eaten with almost every meal. Although I was not too fond of this particular dish as a child, it began to grow on my very quickly and I would go as far as to say that I probably wouldn’t be able to live without it now.

Fortunately enough for the billion-plus South Asians around the world in addition to countless other lentil lovers out there, a recent study conducted by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists has discovered a new variety of lentils that has proven to be a richer source of protein, fiber, minerals, and vitamins than its predecessors.

This new form of lentil, known as Essex, was developed by George Vandemark and Fred Muehlbauer of the ARS and was chosen for public release from a pool of potential varieties due to its unparalleled yield.

In addition to this obvious benefit, it was also found that Essex has protein levels anywhere from 20 to 30 percent higher than other currently popular varieties of lentils.  Furthermore, a host of experiments have shown that Essex enjoys a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria that have been found to be extremely efficient nitrogen fixers. How soon will this variety be available to the public, you may wonder? According to the research team at the ARS, Essex may be available for sale to growers as early as 2011. Here’s to biotechnology!

Discussion Question: share your thoughts on biotechnology and genetic engineering. Are you completely for the idea, or are you wary of potentially harmful side effects of this quickly developing technology.

News Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316112454.htm

Scientific Article: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/