Fresh Garbanzo Beans
Estimated Inventory, 15 lbs : 0
This item was last sold on : 08/30/24
Description/Taste
Garbanzo beans, also known as Chickpeas are petite and about the size of a green pea. When fresh they are encased in a paper-like, light green shell. Each shell contains one or two light green beans that have a lumpy, rounded shape. Once shelled the beans typically do not need to be peeled like fava beans do, though if the beans taste more chewy than creamy they might benefit from rubbing with your hands or a towel to loosen their skins and remove, similar to peeling a hazelnut. Garbanzo beans offer a starchy, buttery texture and a mild bean flavor that is both sweet and nutty. Once dried, most varieties of Garbanzo bean will turn from green to a pale tan hue. Garbanzo beans can be utilized as a fresh shelling bean, and their popularity as such has been growing in recent years though they are still most commonly today used in their dried or canned form.
Seasons/Availability
Fresh Garbanzo beans are available late spring through the summer months.
Current Facts
The Garbanzo bean, also known as Chickpea is botanically a part of Cicer arietinum. Next to soybeans the Garbanzo is the second most popular grown legume crop in the world today. There are two predominant types of Garbanzo beans, small seeded known as desi grown mainly in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and the more commonly globally grown, the larger seeded known as kabuli. The genome of Garbanzo beans has been sequenced in an effort to develop superior cultivars that are resistant to many common pests and diseases. These new varieties benefit growers in developing countries who depend on the Garbanzo crop not only for sustenance and a form of income but also for the crops ability to nitrogen fix and improve soil quality.
Nutritional Value
Compared to other beans Garbanzos have less protein offering only about 17 percent protein, and also have a slightly higher fat content. Additionally, Garbanzos contain folate, magnesium, and insoluble fiber. The fiber content of Garbanzos has been shown to help support healthy digestion.
Applications
Garbanzo beans can be utilized when fresh as a shelling bean or in their dried form. When fresh they can be consumed raw as is though they are most often cooked. Fresh Garbanzo beans can be boiled, roasted, stir-fried, deep-fried, steamed and grilled. Fresh Garbanzo beans still in their pods can be charred on a grill or in a cast-iron skillet and served as a snack. Dried Garbanzo beans are most often, soaked overnight, boiled, and then the cooked bean can be used in a variety of applications. Cooked beans can be fried and served as a crispy side dish. They can be used to make falafel, fried balls or patties of ground-up Garbanzo and spices. Cooked Garbanzo beans can also be pureed into hummus. They can be added to salads, soups, stews, and curries. Their texture and nutritional properties make them a popular protein in areas where meat is scarce, or vegetarianism is prominent. To store, keep fresh Garbanzo beans refrigerated and use within three to four days.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
In India, the Garbanzo is not only popular as a whole bean but it is also dried and ground down to make gram flour, the most common flour used in Indian cuisine. The bean is used in India to make the popular ingredient dhal, a dried split bean. In India it is also a main ingredient in chana masala, a stewed dish of tomatoes, onion and chickpeas. In the Mediterranean, Garbanzo is an important legume as well and is the main ingredient in the popular spread and side dish, hummus. In the Middle East, fresh Garbanzo bouquets with leaves and stems bearing the soft Garbanzo pods still attached are sold at the market and the whole bouquets are popularly cooked on a charcoal grill and the hot pods served as a snack food, consumed by squeezing the warm beans from the pods and eating whole. In the Philippines, Garbanzo beans are added to the popular dessert known as halo-halo. In Italy and France, Garbanzo bean flour is used to make a flatbread commonly available at street carts known as socca and panisse.
Geography/History
Garbanzo beans were first domesticated in the Middle East in a region known as the Fertile Crescent around the same time as wheat and barley and are known to be one of the founding crops of modern agriculture. From there it spread to the Mediterranean in 4000 BC, to India in 2000 BC, and eventually made its way to the New World via Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the sixteenth century. Today the Garbanzo bean is grown and used culinarily extensively in the Middle East and Mediterranean though the bulk of production comes out of India. In the United States Garbanzo beans are grown in California, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Additionally some supply comes out of Mexico as well. In their dried and canned form Garbanzo beans can be found around the world and are one of the most widely used legumes.
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Fresh Garbanzo Beans. One
is easiest, three is harder.
