2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Chickpeas are also known as chickpeas and chickpeas. It is an annual plant of the legume family. Chickpeas (Cicer arietinu) are considered to be one of the earliest crops cultivated by man. Archaeological excavations have shown that chickpeas have been used by man since ancient times. Seeds of chickpeas from 5450 BC, and seeds dating back to the Bronze Age have been found in Iraq.
The homeland of this legume is considered to be the region of Malaysia and especially in the vicinity of the biblical ancient city of Jericho. According to archeological data, chickpeas were used for food by the Jericho people 7,500 years ago. As a cultivated crop, chickpeas began to be grown 5,000 years ago in the Mediterranean, and in India the plant spread only a millennium later.
Over the millennia and centuries, chickpeas have deep roots in the cuisine of various nations. Legumes are a favorite of many civilizations - the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. In the culinary traditions of many countries around the world, chickpeas have long had a place. In North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean (Spain, southern France), India traditionally prepares specialties with chickpeas. The spread of chickpeas around the world is responsible not only for Spanish and Portuguese traders, but also for the numerous Indian emigrants who brought it to the subtropics.
Composition of chickpeas
- Lecithin
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Vitamin B1, B2, B6, B9, PP, A.
- Vitamin C - varies from 2, 2 -20 mg per 100 g of biomass, and in germinated seeds increases to 147.6 mg per 100 g of dry matter.
- Fat - depending on the variety varies 4, 1-7, 2% and in this indicator chickpeas are superior to other legumes except soybeans.
- Proteins: range 20, 1-32, 4%.
- Amino acids. They are very low in chickpeas. Soybeans and peas contain more protein, the quality and balance of the amino acid composition, chickpeas are superior to other legumes.
In 100 g chickpeas contains the following nutrients:
Protein - 19 g, Carbohydrates - 60 g, Fat - 6 g
Minerals: Calcium - 100 mg, Iron - 6 mg, Magnesium - 115 mg, Phosphorus - 366 mg, Potassium - 875 mg, Sodium - 24 mg, Zinc - 3 mg, Copper - 0.8 mg, Manganese - 2 mg, Selenium - 8 mg
Chickpeas have a low glycemic index (10) and a low glycemic index (3). This makes it an excellent dietary food and suitable for people who want to lose weight.
Types of chickpeas
Chickpeas are usually a large annual shrub, reaching a height of 20 to 70 cm. The seeds are round with a protrusion and resemble a sheep's head, which is why in many places it is known by the nicknames "sheep peas" or "bird peas". Varieties with white, yellow-pink and pale yellow grains are used for food. Dark colored grains chickpeascharacterized by high protein content are used for animal feed. The black one chickpeas however, it is highly valued in Indian cuisine and is often prepared in the form of the Kala Chana dish.
However, there are mainly two types of chickpeas - desi and kabuli, which give dozens of known varieties, differing in color, taste, smoothness of beans, texture, density, etc. Desi chickpeas give small and dark beans, with a rough surface and are cultivated mainly in India, Mexico, Ethiopia and Iran. "Kabuli" gives larger and lighter beige beans with a smooth surface. It is grown mainly in the Mediterranean part of Europe, North Africa, Afghanistan and Chile.
Selection and storage of chickpeas
Be sure to check the shelf life of chickpeas when buying them in envelopes or sealed containers. Whether you are buying raw dried or roasted chickpeas, check it for traces or the smell of mold. Usually chickpeas are offered raw, imported from Turkey, as well as baked in vacuum bags, as well as raw and dried or sterilized in jars.
If you buy raw chickpeas examine it carefully to see if the beans are eaten. If possible, check for rotten areas in the core by breaking one berry. It is best to store chickpeas in a dark, cool and dry place so that they do not germinate. Dried chickpeas can be stored this way for a year. If the chickpeas have sprouted - it is better not to consume it.
Cooking chickpeas
Chickpeas are often added to soups, pilaf, side dishes, salads, pies and chickpea meatballs (falafels). It is used to make flour, which, when added (about 10-20%) to wheat, improves the nutritional qualities of bakery, pasta and confectionery products.
A variety of baby porridges and foods are prepared from chickpea flour, pure or mixed with powdered milk. From chickpeas even coffee is made, which tastes quite close to the original drink, but does not contain caffeine. When baked, it becomes chickpeas and is brewed as a coffee to drink. Chickpeas are excellent for preparing meat dishes, porridges, stews, etc.
Recipes with chickpeas
Benefits of chickpeas
Since ancient times, chickpeas have been used as a medicine - it was supposed to have a beneficial effect on the stomach. It was believed that compresses of young plants cure inflammation, ulcers, cancer, improve skin color, protect against skin diseases and destroy warts. Chickpeas are considered an aphrodisiac and were used as such by both the ancient Egyptians and the Arabs.
Harm from chickpeas
Chickpeas have high levels of purines, which are natural compounds found in plants and animals, including humans. Their increased intake is associated with the production of uric acid. It, in turn, is associated with the appearance of gout and the deposition of kidney stones.
That is why people suffering from gout or kidney problems are better to avoid the systematic consumption of chickpeas. Chickpeas can also cause allergic reactions or even the so-called. protein poisoning, which occurs after overeating with roasted chickpeas, but is quite rare.
