(Almost) Wordless Wednesday
After Engie commented on Monday that I said Garbanzo beans while she says Chickpeas, I looked around the grocery store. Guess what? They don’t know either. I didn’t see any packages for Chana, which is what Ted’s mom calls them, since that is what they are called in India, and what she was raised to call them. If I remember I will look at the Indian grocery on Friday, I’m almost out of my favorite tea. I grew up calling them Garbanzo beans, and as Kyria pointed out, that’s probably because I was raised in California where Spanish is a large influence. I call them both interchangeably in my day to day life, but I suspect I lean Garbanzo.
What do you call them? Garbanzo beans? Chickpeas? Chick Peas? Chana/Channa? Something else?
34 Comments
Zazzy
I think I started out with chick peas but I don’t think I ever ate them before I was introduced to the wonderful world of hummus. Now chick peas and garbonzo beans are interchangeable in my head.
J
Me too, they are interchanagable. I’m more confused by ‘chick pea’ vs ‘chickpea’.
Ally Bean
My mother called them chick peas, but as an adult around here they’re called garbanzo beans or sometimes ceci beans. I like them regardless of their name.
J
Me too, they’re tasty!
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
I am here for this debate! Have I ever told you that I was born in California? Anyways, my mom called them garbanzos so that’s the term that I grew up with, but I call them chickpeas – I assume that once we moved that’s what they were called locally. I’ll accept either name but I think that chickpeas is cuter.
J
Chickpeas is cuter, I always thought the real name was Garbanzo and chickpeas was a nickname.
Elisabeth
I call them chickpeas. I don’t even know if I would have been able to answer what Garbanzo beans were without thinking for a long time. I don’t see that name used EVER here in Canada.
I have a new chickpea recipe to try this week and I’m excited; thanks for the reminder!
J
Oh, interesting, you don’t find the double labels there, like in several of my pictures?
nance
We never, ever had them as kids growing up. I can’t remember when I first tried them, but I’ve always called them garbanzo beans. Here in Northeast Ohio, they’re largely labeled as such, but most recipes call for chickpeas.
I like them a lot, but I wish that when you cooked them, they got softer, like other beans do–more pasty and creamy. Oddly enough, I used to love hummus, but now I don’t like it anymore. No idea why.
NGS
I never heard of them until I went to college in northwest Ohio (Bowling Green State University) and they were called chickpeas on the salad bar! I would LOVE someone to create a map on this word usage difference in North America.
J
I don’t think I expected Garbonzo in NE Ohio, so yeah, a map would be helpful!
J
Interesting that you don’t like hummus anymore. Taste changes are strange, aren’t they?
Margaret
This Washingtonian calls them garbanzo beans and I put them in my chili!
J
I’m trying to think whether I’ve ever had them in chili or not. Maybe?
Suzanne
I don’t know that I ever had a chickpea until…. college maybe? I’m not sure. I have always used all three interchangably, but chana less often. Also, I don’t like the way “garbanzo” feels in my mouth. So I guess chickpea is my favorite term.
J
Do you remember the movie ‘The Dead Zone’, with the killer saying in a creepy way, ‘Gazebo’….that’s what your comment reminded me of, not liking the word ‘garbonzo’.
Ernie
I grew up not in a food dessert, persay, but sheltered from food in general. Never had a taco until I was in college, maybe? My mom is a very picky eater, so we weren’t introduced to a lot of food. I’ve only heard of chick peas since around the time of covid, maybe? I’ve read blogs where they are referred to as garbanzo beans frequentely and I like the way it rolls off my tongue, so I’m gonna commit to calling them garbanzo beans.
J
No tacos until college? Did you ever see the movie, “Peggy Sue Got Married”? A woman goes back in time to the 50s, and a science nerd from HS is trying to explain some concept to her, which he calls “The Burrito effect”. She says, “What’s that?” And he then explains a burrito to her, how he had one once when his family went to Disneyland. That’s you I think.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Have you ever seen the stand up of Trevor Noah where he talks about eating a taco for the first time? It is pretty funny. https://youtu.be/Vcv5_3fQRNc?si=0D-LNPTQpN-e59IY
We had tacos growing up, but there were definitely some things, like blueberries, that I don’t think I tried until a little later in life.
J
Blueberries? You didn’t have blueberries until later in life? My mind is blown.
When I lived in Alaska, we used to go blueberry picking every summer, they were AMAZING. So much better than the ones we get here.
Rachel
Oh I was raised calling them garbanzo beans (California native) but now always say chick peas here in the uk. Whatever thr name, I love them!
J
They’re delicious for sure!
Kyria @ Travel Spot
Another Californian, another garbanzo bean!
J
Team garbanzo!
San
I don’t have a preference because we obviously had a different word in German and I’ve heard both in California… so I just use whatever (I think I go with garbanzo slightly more often though).
J
I’m more Garbanzo than Chick Pea too.
coco
I think garbanzo is the spanish word for chickpea? it’s probably my favorite bean to eat. how do you prepare it?
J
This is my current favorite recipe for chick peas/garbanzos:
https://jellyjules.com/meatless-monday-garlicky-spinach-and-chickpea-soup/
Tobia | craftaliciousme
Well, until Thursday this week I called the Chick Peas. BEcause even after reading Engies post I didnt make the connection between garbanzo and chick peas. In German we call them Kichererbsen (literally stranslates to snickering peas).
J
I like ‘snickering peas’, that’s cute!
jan
I always thought chickpeas were smaller and whiter than garabanzos.
J
Oh interesting, I wonder if there are regional differences? All of the double labeling would suggest not, but who knows. I have certainly seen some that are much larger than others, but they seem to be labeled interchangeably.
Anne
I have noticed that I flip terms depending on where I am and with whom I am speaking. At my parents’/out East, though, I will sometimes use midwesternisms (e.g., “pop”) just to drive them bonkers. (I am mean.) 🙂 I suspect this may be because I have spent time in different geographic areas in the States, and have friends in others? Maybe? Or I’m just someone who cannot make up their mind. Your choice. 😉
J
LOL about you saying ‘pop’ to annoy your parents. Yeah, I waffle between garbanzo and chickpea myself.