Chickpeas, mature seeds, cooked no salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) |
| Energy 160 kcal 690 kJ |
|
|
Percentages are relative to US
recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient
database |
The chickpea, chick pea, garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram,
hummus, chana or channa (Cicer arietinum) is an edible legume
(English "pulse") of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae.
The plant grows to between 20 and 50 cm high and has small feathery leaves on both sides of the stem. One seedpod
contains two or three peas. The flowers are white- or reddish-blue. Chickpeas need a subtropical or tropical climate and more
than 400 mm annual rain. They can be grown in a temperate climate, but yields will be much lower. It is often used as an
alternative protein product with vegetarians and vegans
and is one of the plants with the highest amount of protein.
Varieties
There are two types of chickpea:
- Desi - "with small, dark seeds and a rough coat (prevailing in the Indian
Subcontinent, Ethiopia, Mexico, Iran)"
- Kabuli - "with light-coloured, larger seeds and a smoother coat (mainly grown in Southern Europe, Northern Africa,
Afghanistan, Chile, and introduced in the 18th century to the
Indian Subcontinent)"[1]
The Desi form is also known as Bengal gram or kala chana. The Kabuli form is the kind grown, for example, in the Mediterranean
today. The Desi-type closely resembles those seeds found on archaeological sites and the wild ancestor, so it is probably the
earlier form. Desi-type chickpeas are said to have a very low glycemic index[2] making them suitable for many people with blood sugar
problems.
Cultivation and uses
The chickpea is grown in the Mediterranean, western Asia, and the Indian Subcontinent. The wild ancestor of domesticated
chickpeas is Cicer reticulatum. As this only grows in southeast Turkey, this is the most likely locus of
domestication.
Domestically, chickpeas can be sprouted all year round, within a few days, using a sprouter
on a windowsill.
Mature chickpeas can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, cooked in stews, ground into a flour called gram flour (also known as besan, and used in primarily in Indian
cuisine), ground and shaped in balls and fried as falafel, stirred into a batter and
baked to make farinata, cooked and ground into a paste called hummus, or roasted, spiced and eaten as a snack (e.g. leblebi). In India and
Pakistan, where they are referred to as "chana" (Hindi) or "kadalai" (Tamil), chickpeas provide a major source of protein in a predominantly vegetarian culture. Chickpea flour
is used as a batter to coat various vegetables and meats before frying, and is used to made panelle, a type of chickpea fritter from Sicily.[2] Popular Indian dishes made with chickpea flour include mirchi bajji or
mirapakaya bajji telugu. Chickpea flour is also
used to make "Burmese tofu," a food originating with the Shan
people of Burma. Unripe chickpeas are often picked out of the pod and eaten as a raw snack in many
parts of India, and the plants are eaten there as a green
vegetable in salads.
History of chickpeas
Domesticated chickpeas are first known from the aceramic levels of
Jericho (PPNB) and Cayönü in Turkey and the pottery Neolithic in Hacilar, Turkey. They are found in the late Neolithic in Thessaly, at Kastanas, Lerna and Dimini at ca. 3500 BCE. In
the southern French cave of L'Abeurador Dept., Aude, wild chickpeas have been found in
Mesolithic layers, dated by radiocarbon dating to
6790±90 BCE.[3]
By the Bronze Age, they were known in Italy and
Greece. In classical Greece, they were called erébinthos, eaten both as a staple and as a
dessert, and consumed raw when young. The Romans knew of several varieties, for example venus, ram and punic chickpeas. They were
cooked into a broth and roasted as a snack. The Roman gourmet Apicius gives several recipes for chickpeas. Carbonised chickpeas have been found at the Roman legionary fort at
Neuss (Novaesium), Germany in layers of the 1st century CE, along
with rice.
Chickpeas are mentioned in Charlemagne's Capitulare de villis (ca. 800 CE) as
cicer italicum, to be grown in each imperial demesne. Albertus Magnus mentions three varieties: red, white, and black. According to Culpeper, "chick-pease or cicers" are less "windy" than peas and
more nourishing. Placed under the dominion of Venus, they offered a number of medical
uses, including increasing sperm and milk, provoking menstruation and urine, and helping to treat kidney stones. Wild cicers were thought to be especially potent.
Chickpeas were grown in some areas of Germany for use as a coffee substitute in the
First World War.
Etymology
The name "chickpea" derives ultimately from the Latin name cicer through the French
chiche. The Roman surname Cicero is derived from this plant. The word "garbanzo" comes
from the Spanish language, an alteration (perhaps influenced by Old Spanish
garroba or algarroba) of the Old Spanish arvanço, perhaps from Greek erebinthos .[4]
Nutrition
Chickpeas are a good source of zinc[5], folate and protein.[6] They are also very high in dietary fiber and thus are a healthy food source, especially as a source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. They are low in fat, and most of the fat content is polyunsaturated.
One hundred grams of mature boiled chickpeas contains 164 calories, 2.6 grams of fat (of which only 0.27 gram is saturated),
7.6 grams of dietary fiber, and 8.9 grams of protein.
Chickpeas are also a significant source of calcium (190 mg/100 g). Some sources quote it as
equal to yogurt and close to milk. According to the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, on an
average, chickpea seed contains:
- 23% protein
- 64% total carbohydrates (of which: * 47% starch * 6% soluble sugar)
- 5% fat
- 6% crude fiber
- 3% ash
They also report high mineral content:
- phosphorus (340 mg/100 g)
- calcium (190 mg/100 g)
- magnesium (140 mg/100g)
- iron (7 mg/100 g)
- zinc (3 mg/100 g)
In addition, chick peas and bengal grams make excellent curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the UK.
Plant photos
Habitus, Fruits and Flowers
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References
See also
External links
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