Healthy-hour: chickpeas, salt, oil and spices roasted in the oven for 30 minutes.
Origin
Chickpeas are a Middle Eastern legume whose cultivation dates back thousands of years. The plant prefers a hot, arid climate, and is one of the most widely consumed legumes in the world after soy and beans. There are different varieties of chickpeas with darker, almost black seeds which can be hard to find on the market. The most well-known types are categorized in two groups: Kabuli and Desi. Kabuli are more common in the west, and have larger seeds. Some of the main types you can find in Italy include the Merella chickpea (from Novi Ligure in the province of Alessandria), the Grosseto chickpea from the province of Viterbo (with straight ridges) and the Cicerale chickpea (from Salerno).
Cook It
Chickpeas, in the south italian traditions, are often combined with pasta or soups, while in Liguria something very common is chickpeas “farinata” (gruel): a sort of baked focaccia make with rosemary, oil, water and chickpeas flour. Farinata is often served with charcuterie, or as a filling for sandwiches but it also good eaten alone. Chickpeas are very popular in the south cusine, especially in the preparation of falafels, (spiced balls) and hummus (chickpeas puree served with raw vegetables and pita).
Did You Know That?
Chickpeas, Cicer in latin, were really appreciated in Roman times, and were imponed as mandatory to coltivate in all the imperial regions. They were so appreciated that they even called one of the most important family with the latin word: the Cicerone family!
