Leblebi is a traditional Turkish snack made from roasted chickpeas that can take several weeks to prepare. It is a nutritious snack with high protein and fiber content. Leblebi can be served as a sweet or savory dish and is often enjoyed with the traditional Turkish drink boza.
Leblebi is a traditional Turkish snack usually made from roasted chickpeas. Preparing the leblebi can take some time, often up to several weeks because the beans have to be repeatedly roasted and allowed to dry. There are two main types of leblebs: one in which the chickpeas keep their hulls and one in which they are thawed during processing. This nutritious snack can be served as a sweet or savory dish.
Chickpeas usually need to be carefully sorted before processing, in order to remove undersized and damaged chickpeas from the batch. Chickpeas are typically roasted in a wood-fired adobe oven, preferably using wood that produces little smoke. They are typically given an initial roasting, then left in bags for up to 48 hours, after which the chickpeas are roasted again and left out for at least 15 but no more than 20 days. The chickpeas are then usually moistened, left to rest in bags for 24 hours, roasted a third time, left to rest for another two days, and then roasted one last time before they can be eaten.
The traditional Turkish snack known as leblebi is said to be named after the ancient Persian language. It is believed that this snack has a long history. Records suggest that it was already popular in Turkey at the time of the Ottoman Empire. Modern scholars, however, understand very little about the history and development of this traditional snack.
It is considered a very nutritious snack, thanks to the vitamins and minerals present in chickpeas. A serving of roasted chickpeas typically contains about 350 calories, of which about 45 are fat. Leblebi contains about 5 grams of fat, but only about 0.7 of those grams come from saturated fat.
Unseasoned leblebs typically contain no sodium, cholesterol, or sugar. The snack, however, offers nearly 20 grams of protein per serving. It’s also considered a good source of dietary fiber, with 7.7 grams per serving.
Leblebi is usually seasoned with pepper, salt, garlic powder, turmeric, olive oil or coriander. Chickpeas can also be sweetened after the final roasting, turning them into a type of candy popular with children. Leblebi is generally preferred by young people, but is often enjoyed by people of all ages. Hostesses can serve these roasted chickpeas alongside the traditional Turkish drink known as boza, which is usually made from fermented grain. It is often eaten mixed with various types of nuts, but can be enjoyed on its own.
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