Practical
Plants

Cicer arietinum

Chickpea · Chick Pea · Garbanzo · Bengal Gram

an annual vegetable of the Cicer genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Cicer
Life cycle
annual
Height
0.6 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The foliage and seedpods contain oxalic acid and can irritate the skin[13][19][9]. There is also one report that the foliage is poisonous[5] - this might relate to the oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can lock up certain nutrients in the diet, especially calcium, and therefore heavy use of foods that contain this substance can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Cooking will greatly reduce the oxalic acid content. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since the oxalic acid can aggravate their condition[10].

Edible uses

Seed - raw or cooked. The fresh or dried seed is cooked in soups, stews etc[8][14][1][4][5][7]. It has a somewhat sweet flavour and a floury texture somewhat reminiscent of sweet chestnuts[K]. The mature seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw[K]. Parched seeds can be eaten as a snack[7]. The seed can also be ground into a meal and used with cereal flours for making bread, cakes etc[15][2][7]. The seed is a good source of carbohydrates and protein. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[12][15][18][2][7]. The roasted root can also be used[7]. Both the young seedpods and the young shoots are said to be edible[17][18][4][5][6][7] but some caution is advised. See the notes above on toxicity. A refreshing drink can be made from the acid dew that collects on the hairy seedpods overnight[7].

Plant part
Seed, Root
Preparation
Roasted
Product or use
Roasted drink
Plant part
Seedpods
Product or use
Drink
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Legume, Vegetable, Protein
Plant part
Seedpod, Shoots
Product or use
Vegetable

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

An acid exudation from the seedpods is astringent[11]. It has been used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation and snakebite[11].

Plant part
Seedpod
Product or use
Astringent

Environment

Range
Asia? Original habitat is obscure.
Habitat
Unknown in the wild.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
False
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

Seed - sow April/May in situ under cloches. Chick peas can germinate at lower temperatures than broad beans[3]. Could an early spring or even autumn sowing outdoors be successful?

Cultivation

Requires a hot sunny position[24][25][22], tolerating drought once established[23][28]. Prefers a light well-drained fertile soil[24][22]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.5 to 8.6. Plants are hardy to about -25°c when covered by snow[29]. This suggests that plants can be autumn sown - some trials are called for, especially of some of the hardier cultivars[20]. The chickpea is widely cultivated in warm temperate and tropical areas for its edible seed[26][27]. There are many named varieties, some of which should be suitable for cultivation in Britain[21]. Plants only succeed outdoors in Britain in hot summers[24][25]. Plants are about as hardy as broad beans[21] but they often do not succeed in mild moist maritime climates because the seedpods are hairy and this holds moisture. The moisture then encourages fungal growth and the seed usually rots before it is fully mature[20]. Plants require 4 - 6 months with moderately warm dry conditions if they are to crop well[22]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[22]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

References

  1. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820

    ↩

  4. Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-12-136450-x

    ↩1↩2

  5. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  10. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

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  11. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  12. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8

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  13. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00

    ↩

  14. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878-00-00

    ↩

  15. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

  17. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩

  18. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  19. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩

  20. Ken Fern [Cicer arietinum] Plants for a Future (2013/05/29)

    ↩1↩2

  21. Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading ISBN 0704909820 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

  22. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  23. Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8 ()

    ↩

  24. Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2↩3

  25. Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. (32202/01/01)

    ↩1↩2

  26. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  27. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press (32202/01/01)

    ↩

  28. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. ()

    ↩

  29. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation (32202/01/01)

    ↩

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