Chickpeas, a common falafel ingredient, belong to the Fabaceae family.
Fabaceae is also called the legume, pea, or bean family. It includes familiar crops such as peas, beans, soybeans, peanuts, lentils, broad beans, and chickpeas. The chickpea’s scientific name is Cicer arietinum, placing it among flowering plants that produce pods containing seeds.
Chickpeas are legumes, but they are not botanically peas or beans in the narrow sense. “Legume” describes members of the broader plant family and also refers to their characteristic pod-bearing fruits. Like many legumes, chickpeas are valued for their protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
In falafel, chickpeas are usually soaked, then ground with herbs, onions, garlic, and spices before being shaped and fried. A common mix-up is assuming every falafel is chickpea-based: Egyptian falafel, often called ta’amiya, traditionally uses fava beans, another Fabaceae member.