"Important legume grain crops, which are grown in over 50 countries and consumed widely throughout the world. According to the FAO, the world production of lentils was 5.73 million metric tons (MT) in 2019, which represented an increase of nearly 125% as compared to 2.57 million MT in 1990. During the same corresponding period, the area under lentils cultivation has increased by about 50%, which illustrates the increasing importance of this food legume. Lentils are produced in regions as diverse as Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Oceania. Canada, India, and Australia are the leading lentil producers, with Canada alone contributing 2.17 million MT or about 38% of the total world production. Canada, Australia, and Turkey are the leading lentils exporters, and accounting for about 75% of the total lentil exports. India and Bangladesh are found to be the largest consumers of red lentils. Lentils are positioned well to align with changing consumer trends towards meat alternatives, plant-based diets, as well as environment-friendly produced foods. Given heightened concerns the environmental impact of producing and consuming meat, consumers are minimizing meat consumption and shifting to non-meat foods produced in a sustainable manner. These changing trends are expected to continue, aided further by niche markets, gluten-free products and organic foods. In spite of the commercial, nutritional, and health significance of lentils, as described above, currently, there is no book available on lentils. Therefore, there is a need for a dedicated book on lentils breeding and production practices, postharvest handling, nutritional and health significance, processing technologies, processed products, lentil-based ingredients/isolates, and physical, chemical, microstructural and sensory assessments of raw and processed lentils"-- Provided by publisher.