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One of the most popular and widely used legumes in the Middle Eastern diet is the chickpea. Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans in Spanish cooking and ceci beans in Italian.
The chickpea originated in the Middle East about 7500 years ago. It was first cultivated about 3000 BC and was popular among the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. It was not until the 16th century that the chickpea was brought to other parts of the world by Spanish explorers.
Today, chickpeas are popular among all parts of the world, more so in North Africa, Spain and India, where the chickpea is a staple for India's largely vegetarian cuisine and the headline act in the delicious chana masala.
There is evidence that the chickpea originated in Persia and that they were a staple of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced chickpeas to the subtropical regions during the 16th century.