Leblebi is a kind of snack made from roasted chickpeas, very common and popular in Turkey. A snack food (commonly called a snack) is seen in Western culture as a type of food not meant to be eaten as a main Meal of the day – Breakfast The chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) (also garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, chana, kadale kaalu, Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches It is sometimes roasted with salt, hot spices or dried cloves. This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. There is also a candy coated variety. Particularly, leblebi of Çorum and Elmalı are famous. Çorum is the capital of Çorum Province inland from the Black Sea coast in central Turkey. Elmalı is a town and district in Antalya Province, the Mediterranean region of Turkey.
Leblebi could have come from the word leblab [1] in Arabic, which is a kind of ivy with edible seeds, thus 'leblebi' is 'made from leblab'. However, it could also come from Persian word leb, meaning lip, and Arabic suffix -i, thus making leblebi, 'made for lips and lips', a word grammatically correct for Ottoman Turkish language where mixture of Persian words and Arabic suffices are not uncommon. Ottoman Turkish (Osmanlıca or tr ''Osmanlı Türkçesi'' Ottoman Turkish ota-Latn ''lisân-ı Osmânî'' is the variety of the Turkish language that was used as the
Roasted chickpeas is a popular snack also in India and Pakistan. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and
Chickpeas that are used for leblebi processing must conform to some important quality criteria such as shape, size, color, and harvesting time. The chickpea ( Cicer arietinum) (also garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, bengal gram, chana, kadale kaalu, The shape, size, and color of chickpeas vary according to cultivars. Generally, large-seeded (8 –9 mm in diameter and 30. 0 –50. 0 g of 100 kernel weight), lighter-colored, round, and smooth- surface kabuli chickpeas are preferred and appropriate for leblebi processing. Also, the chickpea must have a thick seed coat and the hull must be easy to remove from kernels during leblebi processing. Furthermore, harvesting time affects the tempering process of chickpeas and quality of the final product. Eventually, cleaning and classification of chickpeas due to their size are important stages of leblebi processing. Foreign materials as well as undeveloped, damaged, shrunken, and broken chickpea seeds have to be removed during these processes to enhance quality and yield.
The origins of leblebi date back to 1000–1300 years A. D —nearly 1000 years of background history. It has been eaten since Ottoman Empire times in Turkey. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Despite this, the literature related to the origin of leblebi, its processing characteristics, composition,and nutritive value is scarce. Although, leblebi mainly originated in Turkey, exact details of leblebi production are not well known. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches
There are two different kinds of leblebi: dehulled leblebi (Sarı Leblebi and Girit Leblebi) and nondehulled leblebi (Beyaz Leblebi and Sakız Leblebi) in different parts of Anatolia. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black It was known in Anatolia for centuries, and from there it was introduced to North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and some Asian countries by Turkish people. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. In Turkey, a significant amount of leblebi is produced and exported. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Also, some Middle Eastern countries produce small amounts of leblebi. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. The main leblebi-producing regions of Turkey are Denizli (Tavas), Kütahya (Tavşanlı), Çorum, and Gaziantep, and the method of processing of leblebi shows considerable variations in the different regions. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Denizli is a growing industrial city in the eastern end of the alluvial valley formed by the river Büyük Menderes, where the plain reaches an elevation of about a hundred Kütahya is a city in western Turkey with 213000 inhabitants (2007 estimate lying on the Porsuk river at 930 metres above sea level Çorum is the capital of Çorum Province inland from the Black Sea coast in central Turkey. Furthermore, there are many more locally produced leblebi types that are produced and consumed in very small amounts in some regions of Turkey and called depending on local customers Ağın Leblebi, Erzincan Leblebi, and Mardin Leblebi. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Erzincan ( Zazaish: Erzıngan) is the capital of Erzincan Province in the eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. Mardin is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arab -style architecture and for its strategic location
The methods of leblebi production were handed down from father to son. Thus, the steps in leblebi production and the equipment used may be quite different. Processing equipments for leblebi production can be summarized as
- cleaning and grading equipments and
- heating equipments.
Also, the steps for all different kinds of leblebi production can be summarized as
- cleaning and grading,
- soaking,
- tempering (preheating and resting),
- boiling,
- resting,
- roasting, and
- dehulling.
In Tunisia: Leblebi is a popular dish that consists of boiled chickpeas and old bread. In the region in Bizert, it is also consumed as a sandwich. It is generally consumed in the morning, especially in cold times.
Trivia
Armenian composer Dikran Tchouhadjian (1837-1898) has composed an operetta named 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).
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