Chickpea

Lore & Background

Its closest evolutionary relative is Cicer reticulatum, native to southeastern Turkey and nearby Syria. Archaeological sites in Syria, such as Tell El-Kerkh and Tell Abu Hureyra, have revealed chickpea traces from the 8th millennium BCE, including both cultivated C. arietinum and wild C. reticulatum. The Spanish and Portuguese introduced chickpeas to the New World in the 16th century. The specific epithet arietinum refers to the seed's resemblance to a ram's head, a description noted by Theophrastus in Ancient Greece and by Roman writers Columella and Pliny the Elder. The two main varieties are Desi, common in South Asia and Ethiopia, with small, dark, rough-coated seeds, and Kabuli, common in the Mediterranean and Middle East, with larger, tan, smooth-coated seeds. Kabuli was introduced to India in the 18th century from Afghanistan.

Reader's Guide

Its significance lies in its high protein content and versatility in cuisines across the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent, where it is used in hummus, falafel, salads, soups, stews, and curries. The process of domestication involved selecting for large, palatable seeds, easy separation from pods, predictable ripening, and desirable plant forms. The chickpea's cultivation history reflects human migration and trade, spreading from the Near East to Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Its two main varieties, Desi and Kabuli, adapt to different climates, with Desi thriving in semi-arid tropics and Kabuli in temperate regions. The chickpea remains a critical source of nutrition and a subject of ongoing agricultural research.

Did You Know?

• Some of the oldest archaeological evidence of chickpeas comes from multiple sites in the Near East, including Turkey and Syria.
• The specific epithet arietinum refers to the seed's resemblance to a ram's head.