Variety:  Kabuli

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Overview

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Kabuli chickpeas are the preferred chickpea throughout Mediterranean regions. They are a pale in colour and have a larger seed size than other chickpeas. 

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To achieve the full market price, they need to be large and remain unstained so that they can be traded whole.

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Causes of staining include:
 

• Fungal staining – the seeds are at most risk when they are ripe or close to ripe and are exposed to prolonged or frequent moisture. To avoid this, try to get ripe crops off as soon as possible to minimise risk of exposure to moisture.
   

• Dirt staining – if crop is harvested too soon after rain before the soil is dry enough, mud can be flicked up onto the seed and stain them. To avoid this, wait until soil is dry enough to harvest. Often, there is a fine line between avoiding the risk of excess moisture which causes fungal staining, and the risk of of dirt staining.
   

• High moisture staining – this is also caused by harvesting during or close after periods of rain. 
   

• Green stain – this is caused by harvesting the crop while there are standing green weeds such as thistle or wild radish. This problem can be avoided by spraying with the appropritate herbicide which will curl them just before harvest.
   

Usage: 

The larger Kabuli Chickpeas (over 8mm) are used for canning and the smaller are used for making chickpea flour.