A diverse and ancient legume
Driving through central Washington during the height of summer, you can’t help but notice the fields of rippling legume plants laden with oval-shaped pods. Washington and Idaho are the top agricultural producers of chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, in the United States, although Myanmar and India are the top consumers in the world.
Chickpeas are one of the oldest cultivated legumes, with residue found on relics dating around 7,500 years ago. The original chickpea, Cicer reticulatum, grows only in southeast Turkey, where it is thought to have originated 10,000 years ago. Charlemagne spoke of the legumes. Ancient Greeks associated them with Venus because they were thought to benefit reproductive and urinary health. In 1973, a German writer mentioned using chickpeas as a coffee substitute. For thousands of years to today, they remain an agricultural and diet staple in the Mediterranean and Middle East.
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Today, there two cultivated varieties of chickpeas: Desi (small, darker, rough coating) and Kabuli (large lighter, smooth coating). The name “chickpea” doesn’t refer to its appearance, characteristics, or anything to do with chickens. Instead, it’s a corruption of its Latin name “cicer” and “pease,” which is an old English word referring to beans or grains, singular or plural. Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans, which comes from the Basque word for the legume, “garbantzu.” Whatever you decide to call them, these peas are nutritious, delicious and multi-functional.
The most obvious health benefit of garbanzos is their protein content, and 20% of the world’s population consumes them as a primary protein source. For example, one of Ethiopia’s traditional dishes is Shiro Wat, a blended chickpea stew. And Chana Masala, chickpea curry, is a common meal in any Indian household. Garbanzos are also an excellent source of fiber as well as a wealth of minerals and nutrients, including magnesium, folic acid, iron and molybdenum, which is essential for the body to detoxify sulfites like those found in wines and processed deli meats.
While I’ve always enjoyed hummus, I have only recently discovered the diverse uses of the chickpea. It started with tasting a hummus unlike any other, getting the recipe and making my own from scratch. I still make that recipe, with a couple of tweaks of my own, but since then, I’ve also baked, fried, roasted, mashed and simmered them. Crispy chickpeas, whether baked, air fried, or dry roasted in a cast iron skillet, are one of my favorite crunchy snacks and are fantastic added to salads, grain dishes or soups. The cooking liquid resulting from cooking garbanzo beans, called aquafaba, has unique uses of its own. Similar to egg whites, it stiffens and foams when beaten. Aquafaba can not only be used as a vegan substitute to make meringue, cold foam, whipped cream, mousse and pavlova, but also as an egg replacement in a wide range of baked goods. Check out my recipes and go discover the wonder-filled deliciousness of chickpeas for yourself! N
As Featured in the 2023 Summer/Fall Edition of Nspire Magazine
By: Michal Bennett
Photography by: Joel Riner