Chickpea

A somewhat spherical, irregular-shaped pea-like seed of a legume plant (pulse) native to the Mediterranean region. It has a buff color, firm texture, and nutty flavor. It is used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines in soups, stews, and salads, and can be roasted and eaten as a snack. Chickpea, or cicer in Latin, is also known as cece (ceci in plural), garbanzo bean, and bengal gram. This ancient pulse was domesticated 7,000 years ago, and is the basic ingredient for hummus and falafel dishes.