Plus, belugas are pretty tiny. They're so named because of their resemblance to caviar (at least in their uncooked state! I have a bag of them, but haven't tried cooking them yet). Du Puys are rounder and smaller than regular brown lentils, but larger than beluga, and, as hardlikearmour says, keep their shape well when cooked, rather than disintegrating. Plus, they don't taste so much like dirt. If you ever do a lentil salad, one of these two would be great, where brown lentils would give you a mash. My favorite thing is lentils with butter and caramelized onions/carrots/celery, and lots of salt. It always seems like peasant food, but it's so dreamy and satisfying. Especially if you have some leftover bacon fat, and add that liberally as well.
beluga lentils are black and puy lentils are green with dark speckles. They both keep their shape when cooked, and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
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