With its nutty flavor and dense nutrient profile, the humble chickpea has captivated palates and nourished civilizations for millennia. From its ancient origins to its widespread use in modern kitchens and restaurants around the world, this legume demonstrates both culinary versatility and cultural significance. Despite prominence in traditional cuisines across several continents, the origin, diversification, and spread of chickpeas throughout the Middle East, South Asia, Ethiopia, and the western Mediterranean have remained a mystery. A new study in Molecular Biology and Evolution titled “Historical routes for diversification of domesticated chickpea inferred from landrace genomics” sheds light on the profound effects of human migration and trade on chickpea’s genetic heritage.

Previous studies have suggested two possible origins for Ethiopian chickpeas-;either an Indian origin supported by morphological similarities, or a Middle Eastern origin given the evidence of human migration from western Eurasia into East Africa around 4,500 years ago. Interestingly, the results revealed that both scenarios may be true, finding that Ethiopian chickpeas share ancestry from Indian, Lebanese, and Black Sea source populations.