Leblebi

Lablabi
Leblebi, dehulled
Type	Snack
Place of origin	Algeria and Middle East
Main ingredients	Chickpeas
Cookbook:Lablabi  Lablabi

Leblebi (Turkish: leblebi, Arabic: قضامة Qdameh or Qudamah‎, Persian: نخودچی Nokhodchi) is a snack made from roasted chickpeas, common and popular in Algeria, Iran and Turkey, and sometimes seasoned with salt, hot spices, dried cloves, or candy coated.

Chickpeas used for leblebi are selected for shape, size, color, and harvesting time, and vary by cultivar. Generally, large-seeded (8 –9 mm in diameter and 30.0 –50.0 g of 100 kernel weight ), lighter-colored, round, and smooth surfaced kabuli chickpeas are preferred; a thick seed coat and hull, easy to remove from the kernel is requisite. Harvesting time determines the tempering process and quality of leblebi; chickpeas are cleaned and classified by size, with undeveloped, damaged, shrunken, and broken chickpeas discarded.

There are two different kinds of leblebi- dehulled leblebi (Sarı Leblebi and Girit Leblebi) and nondehulled leblebi (Beyaz Leblebi and Sakız Leblebi) -introduced from Anatolia to North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and some parts of Asia by Turks. Production ranges from Turkey to the Middle East. In Turkey, the primary leblebi-producing region is Çorum, with a few additional local vairents, such as Ağın Leblebi, çorum Leblebi, and Mardin Leblebi.

History

Record of the origins of leblebi are scarce, though it is thought to date back to 1000–1300 CE in Turkey.

Methods

The methods of leblebi production are an inherited tradition, with the steps and the equipment used varying. Utensils generally include tools for cleaning, grading, and heating, with preparation as follows:

1. cleaning and grading
2. soaking
3. tempering (preheating and resting)
4. boiling
5. resting
6. roasting
7. dehulling

Etymology

Leblebi may have come from the Arabic word leblab , a kind of ivy with edible seeds- thus 'leblebi' is 'made from leblab' -or from the Persian leb, meaning lip, and suffix -i, 'of lips'.

Beyond Turkey

In Tunisia, leblebi (also, lablabi) is most often consumed in leblebi shops called "Hanoot Leblebi", in a dish consisting of boiled chickpeas and old bread, harissa, olive oil, olives, garlic, cumin, salt, lemon juice, often egg, and optionally vinegar, capers and/or canned tuna fish. In the region of Bizerte, it is included in sandwiches. It is typically consumed in the morning, especially in cold weather.

Roasted chickpeas are a popular snack in Iran, India and Pakistan.

Trivia

Armenian composer Dikran Tchouhadjian (1837-1898) composed an operetta titled "Leblebidji Hor-Hor Agha" (The Chickpea Vendor) in 1875.

References

• Bilgir, B.(1976).Türk leblebilerinin yapılışı ve bileşimi üzerinde araştırmalar. Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Yayınları. No:232, Bornova İzmir:Ege Üniversitesi Matbaası,106.
• Leblebi: a Roasted Chickpea Product as a Traditional Turkish Snack Food, Food Reviews International, Vol 20, Number 3/2004, pages 257 - 274, (2004).
• Comparison of physical properties of raw and roasted chickpeas (leblebi), Food Research International, Vol 31; Number 9, pages 659-665, (1999).