Chickpea

In 1988, archaeologists excavating at Çayönü in southeastern Turkey found chickpea remains dated to 7,500 BCE. That is not the oldest find: remains from 9,500 BCE were found in Syria. The chickpea is probably one of the first legumes humans domesticated, together with lentils and peas, in the heart of the Fertile Crescent that stretches from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.

The Romans ground chickpeas into powder and ate it as a porridge. Cicero, Rome's great orator, took his family name from cicer, the Latin name for chickpea. Perhaps one of his ancestors was a chickpea farmer, or perhaps suffered from a wart shaped like a small chickpea on his nose. History is silent on the exact reason.

In the Middle Ages the chickpea conquered Muslim Spain, later crossed to Latin America with the Spanish conquistadors, and in the 20th century became global. Today it is the fourth-largest legume crop in the world, with annual production of 15–17 million tons.

Kabuli: a large, light grain with a thin skin, from Afghanistan and the Mediterranean region. This is the one sold in Israel and Europe. Desi: a small, dark grain with a thick skin, grown in India and Africa. It makes up 80% of global production. A stronger flavor, a lower price.

India is the country that governs the chickpea market. With production of 11–12 million tons a year, it produces 75% of the world's chickpeas, and contains within it the largest consumption. In years of a poor Indian harvest, global chickpea prices can jump 30–40% within months.

Cooked chickpea is one of the cheapest and most nutritious plant-protein sources available. 100 grams cooked contain 9 grams of protein, 7 grams of dietary fiber, and an amount of iron that reaches 26% of the recommended daily intake for women. It is also rich in folate, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium.

Carbs

per 100g cooked

Iron

per 100g dry

28

Low GI

glycemic index

164

Calories

per 100g cooked

The fiber in chickpeas is a combination of soluble and insoluble fibers. The soluble fiber serves as a substrate for gut bacteria, the probiotics found in the colon. In clinical trials, regular consumption of legumes reduced LDL cholesterol levels by 5–10%.

Dried chickpeas need 8–12 hours of soaking and 60–90 minutes of cooking. But they are 60–70% cheaper than the canned price, and have a deeper flavor. Canned chickpeas are rinsed and ready immediately, with about 40% less sodium if rinsed. For everyday home cooking, dried is preferable. For quick hummus, canned.

Chickpea cooking water, the liquid usually poured down the sink, contains proteins and starches that make it an amazing substitute for egg white. Three tablespoons = one egg. It whips like egg white. It is used to make meringue, mayonnaise, chocolate mousse. The vegan revolution of the decade.

The processing of chickpeas is fairly simple compared to nuts, but complexity exists in classification and commercial formats. Dried chickpeas come to market in three main types: whole, split (chana dal), and flour (besan). Each has a completely different use.

1

Harvest and Cleaning

Chickpeas are harvested when the plant dries out. Initial cleaning in the field, separation of weeds and stones, drying moisture to 10–12%. A critical stage: moisture above 14% = risk of mold and aflatoxins.

2

Sorting and Grading

Size, color, integrity. Kabuli is graded by diameter: Extra Large (9mm+), Bold (8–9mm), Medium (7–8mm), Small (under 7mm). Broken, dark or speckled grains lower the grade.

3

Dehulling and Splitting (for Chana Dal)

Desi grains are hulled and split to produce Chana Dal, the base of Indian dal. Commercial splitting machines. The split grain reveals the yellow interior color.

4

Milling into Besan Flour

Desi finely milled into a golden-yellow flour. A distinctive nutty aroma. The base of Indian pakora, of tempura coating, of pancakes (chilla), and of many dishes across the Indian subcontinent.

Kabuli Extra Large, 9mm diameter and above, from Canada and Australia, is what is known as "premium Garbanzo" in the Western market. Giant, uniform white, even cooking. Israel imports mainly from Canada, with an emphasis on Bold and Extra Large for the retail market.

Dried chickpeas, proper storage: 3 years. Key: dry, cold, dark, insect-proof. The bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus) is a main enemy. A small flaw in the skin = entry for insects. A visual check before long storage.

No legume has traveled like the chickpea. From the Fertile Crescent to Rome, from Rome to Muslim Spain, from Spain to Latin America, and from India to Southeast Asia. At every stop it took a new name and entered a local culture. In Spanish: garbanzo. In French: pois chiche. In Turkish: nohut. In Arabic: hummus, which means both the legume and the ground dish.

The most-traveled variation in the world

Cooked chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil, cumin. The basic formula is identical from Beirut to Tel Aviv, from Egypt to Iraq. The difference is in the ratios: Lebanon: more lemon, less garlic. Israel: high creaminess, a thick spread. Egypt: more garlic, served warm with oil and sauce.

A "dry curry" dish

Kabuli chickpeas cooked with tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic and a density of spices: cumin, coriander, garam masala, dried mango (amchur) for acidity. Served with fried puri or chapati. One of the most common street foods in northern India.

A national breakfast

A combination of ful medames with chickpeas, olive oil, lemon and spices. Served hot, usually with a hard-boiled egg and round bread. Cairo's restaurants open at three in the morning for the working population. The food that fed the building of the pyramids, at least in its modern version.

A classic Spanish winter stew

A rich soup with garbanzo, beef, chicken, chorizo sausage and potatoes. Served in three courses in order: broth, vegetables, meat. A heritage of Jewish-Muslim cuisine that developed in Spain before the expulsion.

"He who eats chickpeas every day will not go down to the netherworld." The old Arabic proverb perhaps reflects a simple truth: a cheap, filling, rich legume that has kept people alive for 10,000 years.

The global chickpea market reached $11 billion in 2023, with projected growth of 7% annually through 2030. The growth comes from several directions: rising plant-protein consumption in the Western world, population growth in developing countries, and the development of new products — chickpea milk, chickpea pasta, chickpea snacks.

🇦🇺 Australia

🇨🇦 Canada (export)

FAO 2023 · global production ~15.5 million tons

India grows 75% of chickpeas but consumes most of it. Enormous domestic demand, local prices, and an unstable export policy (the Indian government restricts exports in difficult harvest years) make it an unreliable supplier for Israeli imports. Canada and Australia, by contrast, grow quality Kabuli mainly for export, with high uniformity and Western health certifications.

Canadian Kabuli Extra Large: $700–900 per ton CNF Israel. Australian Kabuli Bold: $600–750. Indian Desi: $400–550. A premium of 30–50% for Kabuli over Desi, mainly due to size, uniform color and Western-market demand.

Trends: chickpea pasta grows 40% annually in the U.S. and Europe. Chickpea water (aquafaba) has become a category in its own right. Roasted chickpea snacks are taking a share of corn snacks. Besan flour is returning to the Western table as a gluten-free alternative. Blue Star supplies Kabuli Bold and Extra Large to the Israeli market from two sources: Canada and Australia.

Chickpeas are generally a safe product, but sensitive to poor storage. Two main risks: aflatoxin from Aspergillus mold, and Bruchid infestation, the weevils that bore through grains.

Acanthoscelides obtectus lays eggs on the grain skin. The larva bores inward and eats. A damaged grain looks whole from the outside. A visual check is not enough. Cold storage (below 15°C) halts development. Import from Canada and Australia with a COA for pesticides and insects.

Clinical studies on chickpeas point to three main areas: lowering cholesterol, blood-sugar management, and microbiome health.

Cholesterol: Soluble fiber (6–7 g/100g cooked) binds bile acids and lowers LDL. A study in the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice (2019): 30 grams of legume protein per day lowered LDL by 4.5% and TC by 3.8%.

Blood sugar: A GI of 28. Resistant starch in chickpeas breaks down slowly. An American study (2011, Journal of Nutrition) on type 2 diabetics: adding a cup of chickpeas a day lowered HbA1c by 0.5% after 12 weeks.

Microbiome: Prebiotic fibers (FOS, GOS) from chickpeas feed mainly Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. A Gut Microbiome study (2022) found a 25% increase in gut-bacteria diversity after six weeks of legume consumption.

28

Glycemic index

very low

cooked

7g

Fiber per 100g

cooked

164

Calories

per 100g cooked

In Israel, chickpea is not just a food, it is an identity. The "hummus war" between Israel and Lebanon over who invented it reached international headlines. In 2008, Lebanon registered hummus as a Lebanese cultural product with UNESCO. Israel filed an objection. The dispute was never settled.

The Israeli hummus industry: about 50 small-to-medium hummus factories. Major brands: Sabra (jointly owned by PepsiCo-Strauss), Tribe, Achva. Israeli exports: $100 million a year, mainly to the U.S. and Europe. The American consumer: an average of 25 grams of hummus per week in 2023, compared to 5 grams in 2000.

In 2010 Lebanon made a giant hummus plate of 10.45 tons. Israel tried to break it with 4 tons. Lebanon came back with 10.45 tons. The politics of the little legume.

The chickpea industry is undergoing a revolution with a series of products that exploit its nutritional profile:

Chickpea pasta: Banza (U.S.) built a $100 million business on 25%-protein pasta. In Israel: Anglo-Saxon and others. Growth: 40% annually.

Besan flour: The base of traditional Indian cooking, returning to the West. Pancakes, frying coating, gluten-free dishes.

Aquafaba: Chickpea cooking water. A substitute for egg white: 3 tablespoons = an egg. Meringue, mayonnaise, mousse. 2014: the discovery. 2016: Wikipedia. 2024: a $45 million market.

Roasted chickpea snacks: Biena, The Good Bean — snacks that replace peanuts with 7g protein per 40g. Growth: 35%.

Chickpea milk: A growing niche as an alternative to almond milk. 8g protein per 240ml versus 1g for almond.

The chickpea sits at the heart of two great shifts that will shape food systems in 2030: the move to plant protein and resilience to climate change. In both it is well positioned.

Biotechnology projects: ICARDA and CGIAR develop chickpea varieties resistant to heat, drought and disease. Kabuli that yields at 35°C (today optimal growth is up to 28°C). CRISPR to improve protein content to 30%+ (from 25%). Varieties with fewer anti-nutrients (phytates, tannins) for better absorption.

The 2030 market: chickpeas are expected to cross $20 billion in 2030. Sabra-Strauss, traded on Nasdaq, doubled revenue in 5 years. The largest expected demand: an enriching India seeking protein, and a China discovering Mediterranean cuisine.

Kabuli Bold and Extra Large for the Israeli market from Canada and Australia. COA: moisture, aflatoxin, Salmonella, pesticides, defective grains. Minimum: 20 tons. Price: $700–900/ton CNF Israel.