Chickpea
Cicer arietinum · Legume
Top 10 pairings
A dense, nutty legume also called garbanzo, gram or chana. Hard and starchy when dried, it cooks creamy and faintly buttery, the body of hummus and chana masala. Its cooking water, aquafaba, whips like egg white.
Picking a good onedrag
This season's crop, cooks creamyOld and stale, never softens
Cupboard stockEveryday bestNever eat it raw; fry falafel through. Chickpea, an uncommon allergen, cross-reacts with lentil and pea.
Colour and coatStill even, the gloss gone matte
Beaks and skinsSome chipped beaks, a loose skin
Weight and hardnessHard and dry, a duller rattle
Smell in the bagPapery and neutral, nothing off