They are popular in Greece, North Africa, India, Middle East, southern Italy, and particularly, in Spain, where they are prominent almost daily in one-pot meals and stews. Some Spanish regions such as Badajoz, Cádiz, Segovia, and Zamora are well-known for the chickpeas they grow.
There are several different kinds of chickpeas. There's a "Desi" type of chickpea, which is blackish, and a "Kabuli" type, which is golden. The Desi type is popular in Indian and Pakistan (where 90% of the chickpeas in the world are grown.)
The Kabuli type is more a category for various varieties, such as "castellano", "pedrosillano", "blanco lechoso", etc. The castellano is the most commonly-grown variety in Spain and Mexico. It is yellowish, with a rough skin and is medium-sized for a chickpea. The pedrosillano variety is smaller, with smoother, darker-coloured skin and an almost perfectly round shape. Blanco lechoso is larger, with an irregular shape and pale skin; it is popular in the Andalusia region of Spain.
Chickepeas are naturally low in sodium. Canned ones, however, will usually be very high in sodium. Drain from can into a bowl, wash with water, and rinse off to get rid of some of the excess sodium.
Chickpeas have a higher fat content than most other beans, which is part of the reason pastes such as Hummous made from them are so popular. Good source of lecithin and potassium. Rich in calcium, iron, fibre, low in sodium.