Short answers, pulled from the story.
The chickpea was first domesticated about 10,000 years ago during the First Agricultural Revolution, alongside wheat, barley, peas, and lentils. The oldest archaeological evidence comes from sites in Syria, with additional finds in Turkey dating from between 7500 and 6800 BCE at Cayonu and from 5450 BCE at Hacilar.
India is by far the largest producer of chickpeas, accounting for 75 percent of global production in 2023. That year, world production totaled 16.5 million tonnes, with Australia as the leading secondary producer.
Desi chickpeas are small, dark-seeded, and rough-coated, most common in South Asia, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Iran. Kabuli chickpeas are larger, tan-colored, and smooth-coated, dominating Mediterranean and Middle Eastern markets; Kabuli was introduced to India in the 18th century from Afghanistan.
The Latin word cicer, which forms the root of 'chickpea', appeared around 700 BCE and was likely borrowed from the word kickere used by the Pelasgians of northern Greece. The French pois chiche and the Old English chich-pease both derive from that Latin root. The Spanish garbanzo traces a separate lineage through the Greek word erebinthos and entered American English as early as 1759.
The most widespread chickpea pathogen is Ascochyta rabiei, recorded in 35 countries and favored by wet weather. Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris, present in 32 countries, causes regular yield reductions of 10 to 15 percent. Between 1978 and 1995, the global number of recorded chickpea pathogens rose from 49 to 172.
Cooked chickpeas are 60 percent water, 27 percent carbohydrates, 9 percent protein, and 3 percent fat. In a 100-gram serving they provide 690 kilojoules of food energy and are a rich source of folate at 43 percent of the Daily Value and manganese at 45 percent of the Daily Value.