This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)

The chickpeas of Cicerale are a really ancient type of legume and are named after their area of origin, Cicerale, a village of Cilento. The origin of the toponym Cicerale has been explained by the Latin motto on the municipal coat of arms, next to the plant of chickpeas are written the words: “Terra quae cicera alit”: “the soil which nourishes chickpeas”.
The cultivation in this area involves only 25 hectares. Cicerale’s chickpeas are smaller and darker than normal chickpeas, but they get bigger in the cooking process.
The plant is small with a semi-prostrate posture, which does not need watering during the cultivation process and which grows in the most difficult soil and climate conditions, because of these the cultivation of this plant is still spread in its countries of origin: Iran, Pakistan and India.
The cultivation of chickpeas is not so spread in Italy and is still related to the rustic traditions and gastronomy of Southern Italy, but chickpeas were alternated to wheat and other cereals in order to supply the farmers’ diet with proteins. Biological criteria are followed to cultivate the legumes. The uneven and vicinity of the soil and the presence of pods on the plant impede the use of self-propelled threshing machines.
When the seed is mature, the plants are eradicated, placed on jute sacks, covered and then beaten down with big rods of wood; after that, the pods are separated by ventilation and canned.

This post is also available in: Italiano (Italian)