Get to Know: Garbanzos

Get to Know: Garbanzos

Today, the garbanzo bean is the world's second most widely grown legume after the soybean, and is considered by some to be one of the eight founder crops of the origins of agriculture. Garbanzo beans were grown by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans and were very popular among these cultures. During the 16th century, garbanzo beans were brought to other subtropical regions of the world. And now we have several varieties growing right here on the Palouse. Many of these growers belong to the Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative (PNW) from which the Co-op sources many of its garbanzo beans and lentils.