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Chickpeas, dry

Chickpeas are used as an ingredient in stews, soups and purees. They have a very mild, slightly nutty aroma. You should not eat them raw.
We have provided the missing values for the nutritional information from the USDA database for this ingredient.
  Water 7.7%  70
Macronutrient carbohydrates 70.37%
Macronutrient proteins 22.88%
Macronutrient fats 6.75%
  LA (2.6g) 26:1 (0.1g) ALA


Here, essential linolenic acid (LA) 2.63 g to essential alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) 0.1 g = 26:1.
Ratio Total omega-6 = 2.63 g to omega-3 fatty acids Total = 0.1 g = 26:1.
On average, we need about 2 g of LA and ALA per day from which a healthy body also produces EPA and DHA, etc.

Pictogram nutrient tables

Chickpeas were cultivated in Asia Minor thousands of years ago and are known for their high fiber content.

Culinary uses:

…Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpeas, which are often cooked and ground into a paste and mixed with tahina (sesame seed paste), the blend called hummus bi tahina. Chickpeas are roasted, spiced, and eaten as a snack, such as leblebi… Some varieties of chickpeas can be popped and eaten like popcorn.
Chickpeas and Bengal grams are used to make curries and are one of the most popular vegetarian foods in South Asia and in diaspora communities of many other countries served which was first known among the Shan people of Burma. In South Asian cuisine the Chickpea flour (Besan) is used as a batter to coat vegetables before deep frying to make Pakoras. The flour is also used as a batter to coat vegetables and meats before frying, or fried alone such as panelle (little bread), a chickpea fritter from Sicily. Chickpea flour is used to make the Mediterranean flatbread socca and called panisse in Provence, southern France. It is made of cooked chickpea flour, poured into saucers, allowed to set, cut in strips, and fried in olive oil, often eaten during Lent… In the Philippines, chickpeas preserved in syrup are eaten as sweets and in desserts such as halo-halo. Sephardic Jews traditionally serve whole chickpeas at a Shalom Zachar celebration for baby boys… A chickpea-derived liquid (aquafaba) can be used as an egg white replacement to make meringue.

Nutritional information:

Health aspects:

Chickpeas are a nutrient-dense food, providing rich content (20% or higher of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, dietary fiber, folate, and certain dietary minerals such as iron and phosphorus. Thiamin, vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc contents are moderate, providing 10–16% of the DV. Chickpeas have a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score of about 0.76, which is higher than many other legumes and cereals.
In some parts of the world, young chickpea leaves are consumed as cooked green vegetables. Especially in malnourished populations, it can supplement important dietary nutrients, because regions where chickpeas are consumed have been sometimes found to have populations lacking micronutrients. Chickpea leaves have a significantly higher mineral content than cabbage and spinach.

General information:

The chickpea or chick pea (Cicer arietinum) is a legume… Its different types are variously known as gram, or Bengal gram, garbanzo or garbanzo bean, as well as the Egyptian pea. Its seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East. In 2016, India produced 64% of the world total of chickpeas.1

Cultivation and harvest:

Garbanzo beans or 'kabuli' chana are lighter-coloured, larger, and with a smoother coat, and are mainly grown in the Mediterranean, Southern Europe, Northern Africa, South America, and the South Asia. The name means "from Kabul" in Hindi and Urdu, and this variety was thought to come from Kabul, Afghanistan when it was introduced to India in the 18th century. An uncommon black chickpea, ceci neri, is grown only in Apulia, in southeastern Italy. It is around the same size as garbanzo beans, being both larger and darker than the 'desi' variety.

Literature / Sources:

  1. Wikipedia. Chickpeas [Internet]. Version dated February 26, 2018 [Cited February 26, 2018]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chickpea