Characteristics – In its native lands of the Near East, the Garbanzo Bean (Cicer aurietinum) is used in many exotic dishes, but in America it is probably best known for its popularity in salad bars.  Its golden color and distinguishing nut-like flavor also adds sunshine and flavor to mixed bean salads. Sometimes called a “chick-pea”, the garbanzo is one of the world’s most popular legumes, with its popularity especially high in India, Spain and Portugal.

How and Where Grown – Most varieties of beans are grown as a summer crop, and harvested in the fall. However, garbanzos are different.  While a small portion of California's garbanzo crop is still grown as a summer crop in the cooler coastal foothills (where all California garbanzos used to be grown in the 80's and before), the large majority of the garbanzos are now considered a winter crop.  Since garbanzos are very sensitive to California's hot summers in the Central Valley, growers there plant them in the winter so the plants can grow and mature in the spring, and then they harvest the garbanzos in the early summer.  By June or July, the beans have matured and dried naturally on the plants so they can be directly harvested with specially modified combines.  (The harvesting of most dry beans must be accomplished by cutting the plants off at the roots and placing them in "windrows," and then leaving them to dry in the field for 10-14 days before being picked up by a harvester.)   After harvesting, the garbanzos are hauled to cleaning and storage facilities that in California are called warehouses.  There the beans are cleaned, graded, sacked and stored until the grower decides to sell them into the normal marketing channels - usually for canning.

Uses and Recipes – One of the interesting ways garbanzos are used is in Hummus (see recipe below), a bean dip with an international flair. The following is a list of 29 recipes using garbanzo beans, with the asterisks indicating those that are heart-healthy.

Soups

*6 Bean Soup
Bean and Sausage Soup
Garbanzo Eggplant Chili
Meatball and Garbanzo Stew
Tuscan Bean Soup

Salads

Bean and Cabbage Salad
*Calico Bean Salad
*California Sunshine Salad
“Chick-Chick” Salad
Garbanzo and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
Greek Style Garbanzo Salad
Mixed Bean Salad
*Tabbouleh Salad

Entrees

French-Style Bean and Sausage Casserole
*Mixed Bean Casserole
Speedy Pork Cassoulet
*Sunshine Bean Casserole

Mexicana

*Merita's Taco Salad

Specialties/ Appetizers

Hummus (Garbanzo Dip)
Hummus with Pita Crisps
Stuffed Eggs

Side Dishes/ Casseroles

Confetti Bean Stir-fry
Garbanzo Tabbouleh
Garbanzo Bean and Eggplant Curry
Polenta and Beans
Spiced Garbanzo Couscous with Grilled Vegetables

Pizza/ Pasta

Garbanzo Spaghetti
Garbanzos, Tomatoes and Rosemary with Bowtie Pasta
Hummus and Cheese Pizza