Steckbrief
Die Kichererbse, Cicer arietinum, hat ihren Namen nicht, wie vielleicht angenommen, weil sie so witzig ist. Die Bezeichnung „Kicher“ ist auf den lateinischen Begriff „cicer“ für Erbse zurückzuführen. Streng genommen heißt die „Kichererbse“ somit „Erbseerbse“.
Usage
The chickpea is available dried or precooked in cans and jars. The dried chickpeas must be soaked in water for at least twelve hours, preferably overnight, before cooking. Cooking time varies from 30 to 120 minutes, depending on size and use. Thanks to their nutty flavor, they are suitable for stews, salads, soups and for the oriental dishes falafel (chickpea balls) and hummus (spread made from pureed chickpeas). Chickpea flour is also used as a base for bread, pizza dough or sweet baked goods.
Chickpeas are characterized by their high protein content. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements such as iron, folic acid and potassium.
In their raw state, chickpeas, like all legumes, contain indigestible phasin, which is destroyed and rendered harmless during cooking.
Botany
The chickpea belongs to the legume family, also known as the papilionaceous family. This annual, herbaceous plant can grow up to one metre tall. The erect to prostrate, four-sided stem usually branches from the base. Like the leaves, it is blue-green to grey-green in colour.
The leaves, arranged alternately along the stem, are imparipinnate and have two to five-pointed stipules at their base. The individual leaflets are obovate, seven to ten centimetres long, deeply serrated towards the tip and covered with sticky glandular hairs.
The papilionaceous flowers, measuring ten to twelve millimetres in size, stand singly in the leaf axils and are white, pink to violet in colour.
Chickpeas are generally self-pollinating, although cross-pollination does occur occasionally via insect pollination.
The swollen, nodding pod contains one to two unequal seeds, which may be light brown, beige, red, brown or black. There are two main types of chickpea: the Kabuli type has larger, roundish, cream-coloured seeds and is better known and more widespread in Europe. The Desi type has small, wrinkled, dark seeds and is popular in India.
Agricultural aspects
According to the AMA land use analysis, chickpeas were grown on 381 ha in Austria in 2023, and on just 287 ha in 2026.
Chickpeas thrive best in warm and sunny climates with a good distribution of rainfall during the growing season. They have high water requirements for germination. The minimum germination temperature is 5 °C, whilst the optimum is 25 °C. Although they are sensitive to frost, they are drought-tolerant and are more likely to suffer from excessive moisture. Chickpeas therefore cope well with climate change.
The plants prefer calcareous, sandy loam soils and will also grow on poor, dry soils where other crops fail due to a lack of nutrients. Sowing usually takes place from late April to mid-May, once there is no longer any risk of frost, at a depth of 5–8 cm, with a row spacing of 30–35 cm. As chickpeas have only a weak ability to compete with weeds, weeds must be removed regularly at the start, for example by harrowing or hoeing.
A fallow period of at least five years must be observed before growing any other legumes (legume fatigue; this term refers to a complex of several soil-borne diseases whose combined effect leads to a reduction in yields). Chickpeas are, however, good preceding crops, particularly for light-feeding cereals. Due to the nitrogen fixation carried out by the symbiotic nodule bacteria, nitrogen fertiliser is generally not required.
Harvesting takes place from late August to September. As chickpeas are very sturdy and their pods do not split easily, they can be harvested using a combine harvester.
Yield potential of chickpea in Austria
Chickpea is currently still little cultivated in Austrian agriculture, although demand has increased steadily in recent years. Many Austrian farmers lack the appropriate seeds and practical knowledge to cultivate chickpeas. Currently, no chickpea variety is listed in the Austrian variety list. Therefore, we want to support agriculture with a project in which the (yield) potential of chickpeas is determined with a variety trial and further expertise is built up and passed on.
Last updated: 19.10.2026
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