The chickpea (Cicerarietinum) is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. Formerly known as the gram, it is also commonly known as garbanzo or garbanzo bean and sometimes known as ceci, cece, channa, or Bengal gram. Its seeds are high in protein. It is one of the earliest cultivated legumes: 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East.Used in various food preparations.