CHICK-PEA

also called Gram, or Garbanzo (species Cicer arietinum), annual plant of the pea family (Fabaceae), widely grown for its nutritious seeds. The bushy, 60-centimetre (2-foot) plants bear pinnate leaves and small white or reddish flowers. The yellow-brown peas are borne one or two to a pod. Chick-peas are an important food plant in India, Africa, and Central and South America. Hummus, or hummous-chick-peas mashed to a paste with lemon juice, olive oil, and sesame paste-is widely eaten in the Middle East as a sauce and dip for bread. Mashed cooked chick-peas are formed into small flat cakes and fried for falafel (or felafel), a popular Israeli snack. In southern Europe, chick-peas are a common ingredient in soups, salads, and stews. A kind of meal or flour is also made from chick-peas.