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garbanzo

/gɑrˈbɑnzoʊ/
IPA guide

Other forms: garbanzos

A garbanzo is a round legume that's also known as a chickpea. You can add some garbanzos to your salad, or mash them up with tahini, lemon, and olive oil to make hummus.

Many Middle Eastern, North African, and Indian dishes use garbanzos, from falafel to chana masala. The majority of the world's garbanzos are grown in India, though the word itself is Spanish and is mainly used in North America (other English speakers call them chickpeas). During World War I, roasted and ground garbanzos were sometimes used as a coffee substitute, particularly in Germany.

Definitions of garbanzo
  1. noun
    large white roundish Asiatic legume; usually dried
    synonyms: chickpea
    see moresee less
    type of:
    legume
    the seedpod of a leguminous plant (such as peas, beans, or lentils)
  2. noun
    the seed of the chickpea plant
    synonyms: chickpea
    see moresee less
    type of:
    legume
    the fruit or seed of any of various bean or pea plants consisting of a case that splits along both sides when ripe and having the seeds attach to one side of the case
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