Welcome. In this course, you will learn about chickpeas. Check out the instructor guide in the material tab.
Start with the Chickpeas on the Farm section and learn how farmers plant, grow and harvest a chickpea crop. Then follow chickpeas from the farm to the store shelf in the Chickpea in the Grocery Store section. Finally, learn why chickpeas are a healthy choice and cook along as we show you some basic kitchen skills in the Chickpeas in Your Kitchen section.
Course content & objectives
In this course, you will learn about Chickpeas There are three sections:
Chickpeas on the Farm – Learn how farmers plant, grow and harvest a chickpea crop.
Chickpeas in the Grocery Store – Follow chickpeas from the farm to the store shelf.
Chickpeas in Your Kitchen – Learn why chickpeas are a healthy choice and cook along as we show you some basic kitchen skills.
Course Delivery
Using the content on the Canadian Food Focus website, the material can be shared with students through a variety of methods, including:
- Lecture-style presentations by the instructor
- Student group presentations on each of the topic areas in the course
- Individual students selecting a specific topic to write about using information provided on the website and other resources
- Self-guided study with students completing quizzes at the end of each topic
- Team competitions at the end of each course to see which team gets the most quiz answers correct
Suggested Activities
- Invite a farmer to come and talk about chickpeas and the other pulses they grow. Have them talk about the different types of pulses, the advantages of each type and how they grow the different kinds. What are some of the challenges of growing pulses? What are some of their strategies for managing insects and disease?
- Take a field trip to a grocery store to look for chickpeas on the shelves. Look for frozen, canned and dried. Where did you find them? What variety are they? (i.e., Desi or Kabuli) Look for recipes on the packaging – are they recipes the group can make? Look for other pulses in the store – dry peas, dry beans and lentils. Discuss how these types of pulses would be prepared. Note where the products are produced and packaged. Are they Products of Canada or Made in Canada? Other?
- Experiment! Prepare the “Betty’s Gingersnaps” recipe using chickpea flour. Discuss what the chickpea flour contributes to the recipe. Prepare another batch using only all-purpose flour or chickpea flour. How do they compare? Have the group do some research on adapting recipes for chickpea flour.
- As a group, choose a recipe that uses chickpeas. Discuss the taste profile of chickpeas and their nutritional contribution to the dish. Is this a recipe that would be suitable for vegetarians or vegans? Why or why not? What cultures commonly use chickpeas and other pulses in their recipes?