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Sunday 23 March 2014

Chickpea

One of the earliest cultivated legumes, chickpeas are ingredients in a number of dishes around the world.

By © Jorge Royan / http://www.royan.com.ar, 

The chickpea was regarded by the Romans as a food for peasants and poor people. At festivals chickpeas were frequently thrown over the heads of people and were caught with much hilarity.

In ancient Gaul chickpeas was a common ingredient in vegetable soup.

In 1282 the Sicilian Vespers started a rebellion against the rule of Charles I of Anjou and all identifiable Frenchmen were massacred. The unfortunate French were betrayed by their inability to pronounce  the local word "ceci" meaning chickpeas.

The liquid from canned chickpeas is called aquafaba and can be whipped into a stiff, fluffy foam. Aquafaba can be used instead of egg whites in baking and can even be used to make egg-free meringue.

India is the largest producer of this nutrient-dense food, accounting for 73% of global production in 2020. It is followed by  Turkey, Myanmar, and Pakistan as secondary producers. 

Source Food For Thought by Ed Pearce

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