White lentils, also known as flat beans or southern flat beans, are the white seeds of the legume plant flat bean. White lentils have a neutral nature and a sweet taste. They enter the spleen and stomach meridians and have the effects of invigorating the spleen, clearing heat, and eliminating dampness. They are used to treat symptoms such as heat and dampness-induced diarrhea, weak spleen with vomiting, poor appetite and chronic diarrhea, water retention with thirst, abnormal vaginal discharge, and malnutrition in children. The book "Yao Pin Hua Yi" states: "Lentils have a sweet and neutral taste, a clear and fragrant aroma, a mild and slightly yellow nature, and are most suitable for the spleen." The book "Yao Xing Bian Yi" also states: "Lentils have the specific function of clearing heat, so they can harmonize the middle and stop cholera; they are extremely beneficial for the spleen, so they can treat dysentery and eliminate purulent blood, clear water dampness, and treat hot diarrhea." It is worth noting that there are counterfeit white lentils in the market that are imported from Myanmar, so attention should be paid to identification when using them for medicinal purposes.
Genuine White Lentils
The dried seeds have a flat oval or flat ovoid shape, measuring 8-12 millimeters in length, 6-9 millimeters in width, and 7 millimeters in thickness. The surface is pale white or light yellow, smooth, and slightly shiny. One side has a raised white semicircular seed hilum, which accounts for about one-third to one-half of the circumference. After peeling, a concave seed hilum can be seen, with a small pearl hole at one end adjacent to the seed hilum and a short ridge at the other end. The texture is hard, the seed coat is thin and brittle, and there are two thick, yellowish-white cotyledons. When smelled, it has a subtle aroma and a mild taste with a slight bean scent when chewed.
Counterfeit Lentils
They are "imported lentils" and are extremely similar to genuine lentils. The main difference is that the seeds of counterfeit lentils are larger and flatter, measuring 10-15 millimeters in length, 7-10 millimeters in width, and 4-5 millimeters in thickness, which is significantly different from genuine lentils.
Imported lentils do not possess the various beneficial effects and characteristics of genuine white lentils, so they cannot be used as a substitute for medicinal white lentils.
