Nowadays

Up till not so long ago, I believed that the chickpea had gotten its name because every pea looks like a huddled up chicken. Like on of those plucked, pale, naked, headless ones we get from the grocery store. Even the color is right. Perhaps a childish explanation for the origin of a word, but it made sense to me. It made so much sense I must admit it took some of the charm away when I found out how wrong I had been. The name chickpea really traces back to a French word. A word I cannot and will not try pronounce.

However, apart from the mistake about the name, I know the chickpea very well. I won't bore you with the story of how I about ten years ago came upon an article of how sausage is made, how that very article turned me vegetarian, and how I - as a consequence of that - started looking at food and eating in a whole new way. Let's just say, me and chickpeas go way back.

Many probably believe that most beans and peas taste about the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. And concerning chickpeas, I would say that they have more of a personality than most other. There is a sweet, nutlike flavor to it that makes it so tasty you can eat a handful just as a snack.

However, if you want to take it a step further, there are countless of ways of how to prepare chickpeas. In India, where most people are vegetarians, chickpeas are one of the major sources of protein. They are used in salads and stews. Even dried, grounded into flour and baked with it. In Burma, chickpeas are used to make a special kind of tofu. Some also ferment the peas to make alcoholic drinks. In the Philippines, chickpeas are preserved in syrup and eaten as sweets and desserts. In the Middle East, chickpeas are one of the cornerstones of cooking. It is the main ingredient in foods like falafel and hummus.

It was also in the Middle East, the history of the chickpea - as we know it - started. 7,000 years ago, the people in the Middle East cultivated the plant. Ever since, it has influenced the cooking of the area. And spread to other parts of the world as well.

2,500 years ago, a German priest made a note in the monastery's records about chickpeas. They were said to be more nurturing than regular peas, and less windy. A combination that is still appreciated. Furthermore, chickpeas were believed to prevent urinary tract infection and treat kidney stones. The peas were also associated with Venus, and believed to increase fertility.

1,500 years ago, one of the now oldest kept cookbooks was put together. This book of Roman cookery included a whole chapter with recipes of chickpea dishes.

Even today, perhaps more now than ever - when food too often is valued only after its content of nutrition - are chickpeas totally right. They are an excellent source of protein and high in fiber, a great intake for vegetarians and those with insulin sensitivity and diabetes. As well are they high in calcium. As high as yoghurt and close to milk.

As is the case for most passions I had at sixteen, my vegetarianism did not last very long. Still, my love for the chickpea never ceased. Myself, I like them best crushed up with a fork, salted and peppered, on a plain slice of dark bread. And even though I turned out to be wrong about the name, I was never wrong about what made me such a great fan to start with. It's outstanding flavor.