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The tiny medieval village of Navelli looks out over the plain of the same name, at the foot of the Gran Sasso. In October, the countryside turns purple thanks to the crocus flowers whose saffron is famous all over Italy. But another crop has also been essential to the community’s economy, history and subsistence: a local variety of chickpea.
The village still celebrates the legume with a festival at the end of August, during which the villagers and local growers try to outdo each other with local recipes like chickpea stew and chickpeas with saffron.
Navelli chickpeas are usually small, cream colored and smooth, but a few producers still grow a second type, smaller and rusty red in color, with a wrinkled surface. Historically the white chickpeas were sold while the red ones were kept for family consumption.
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