Chickpea

The chickpea, chick pea, garbanzo bean, ceci bean, bengal gram, hummus, chana or channa (Cicer arietinum) is an edible legume (English "pulse") of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae.

The plant grows to between 20 and 50 cm high and has small feathery leaves on both sides of the stem. One seedpod contains two or three peas. The flowers are white- or reddish-blue. Chickpeas need a subtropical or tropical climate and more than 400 mm annual rain. They can be grown in a temperate climate, but yields will be much lower. It is often used as an alternative protein product with vegetarians and vegans and is one of the plants with the highest amount of protein.