National Chickpea Day is April 21

Enjoy National Chickpea Day

Every day on our modern calendar is a date to celebrate someone or something and some unusual observances are now taking place. Consider (also known as Garbanz0 beans) which is one of the earliest cultivated legumes in history. This food is not wildly popular but April 21 is now the date to celebrate National Chickpea Day. If you have never heard of or eaten this food the national day of celebration is the perfect opportunity for you to learn all about chickpeas. They are small and round and slightly bigger than regular green peas. You can purchase chickpeas in the aisle with bagged beans and lentils and other legumes or find them in the canned vegetable aisle.

This legume has a tan color and a nutty taste and a grainy texture. Like beans you cook them until they are soft but they do not taste like beans. This vegetable was found in the Middle East about 7,500 years ago and today some food pantries have them on the list of healthy foods to give those in need. Chickpeas were located in ancient Jericho which means that humans had been eating chickpeas since before they could produce pottery. Samples of chickpeas have been found in Neolithic pottery in Hacilar, Turkey. and also appeared throughout history in France, Greece, and other areas of Europe. Germany later used the knowledge of this vegetable to grow chickpeas during World War I.

National Chickpea Day was created in 2019 and is the time to sing the praises of this healthy food which is said to be a great alternative to Potato Chips as a snack. Be careful to cook them thoroughly because raw they have toxins and are too hard to eat. Chickpeas are also a popular ingredient in Mediterranean diets.

'Chickpea’ comes from the French ‘chiche’ and the Latin ‘cicer.’ The word ‘chickpea’ was first found in English print in 1338, which was later cited by mid-18th century dictionaries. In 1548, the Oxford English Dictionary noted, “Cicer may be named in English Cich, or ciche pease, after the Frenche [sic] tongue.” ‘Garbanzo,’ the Spanish term for chickpea, comes from a compound of ‘garau,’ meaning ‘seed,’ and ‘antzu,’ meaning ‘dry.’

Make the date special

Celebrate National Chickpea Day by eating this meal at home by cooking or eating the food as a snack. You can also enjoy chickpeas served up in various ways at a Meditteranean restaurant including as part of a healthy veggie burger. If you cook chickpeas with a sweet dish the nutty flavor will be more pronounced.

Chickpeas are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats and have a low GI. Potential benefits of chickpeas include helping control blood sugar, manage weight, and support heart and gut health. Chickpeas are versatile, so you can add them to many savory or sweet meals and snacks.

There are only 46 calories in a one-cup serving of uncooked chickpeas and they also have 2.4 grams of protein and 2.2 grams of dietary fiber. They also offer Calcium 1%, Iron 4%, Vitamin B6 5%, and Magnesium 3%.

Chickpeas are versatile

Chickpeas like lentils have a bland taste and the flavor can be changed based on the ingredients you use to cook with them. National Chickpea Day is a great time to experiment and determine your favorite way to serve this food. One of the best things about chickpeas is that not only are they nutritious but inexpensive.

Chickpeas are an acquired taste and some people actually say they hate the flavor. Someone out there, however, thought enough of this versatile vegetable to make a national day to celebrate