Chickpea facts for kids
The chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is a yellow edible legume (bean). It can be used for cooking. The peas can be bought canned or dried. It was one of the earliest fruits to be grown. The first chickpea was grown in the Middle East about 7,500 years ago.
The most popular place for chickpeas to grow is in Pakistan. In 2008, nearly 6 million tonnes of chickpeas were produced there. Because the growth is so popular there, it is also known as the Indian pea.
Chickpeas contain a great deal of protein, zinc and folic acid. They can be an important part of a vegetarian or vegan diet, since they come from a plant.
A popular dish made from chickpeas is hummus.
Images for kids
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Hummus with olive oil
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Dhokla, steamed chickpea flour snack
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Doubles, a street food in Trinidad and Tobago
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Manchego cuisine; chickpea and Silene vulgaris stew (potaje de garbanzos y collejas)
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Farinata di ceci, a traditional Italian chickpea snack food
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Chakhchoukha in Algerian cuisine; freshly cooked marqa before mixing with rougag
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Chana masala, India
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Halua chickpeas, Bangladesh
See also
In Spanish: Garbanzo para niños