Rice Osmancık-97

Located on an important crossing of the River Kızılırmak on the ancient Silk Road to the orient, Osmancık has long had a strategic value, and is still today a popular stopping-place on the road from Istanbul to the Black Sea city of Samsun and further east.

Today Osmancık is known for its rice production, being especially suitable for a new strain of rice developed especially for the region by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and named "Osmancık-97".

Chickpea probably originated in southeastern Turkey and spread west and south via the Silk Route. Four centers of diversity have been identified in the Mediterranean, Central Asia, the Near East and India, as well as a secondary center of origin in Ethiopia. Chickpea cultivation is known as long ago as the early Bronze Age in Jericho. It is grown and consumed in large quantities from South East Asia to India and in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries. It ranks second in area and third in production among pulses worldwide.

CHICKPEAS - WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD FOR YOU?

Being such a good provider of so many different nutrients, chickpeas can offer many advantages when it comes to weight loss and a healthy diet. They are low in fat and one of the very best sources of both soluble and insoluble fibre - this means that they can be effective in helping to reduce your overall cholesterol levels, and perhaps more importantly, your bad, or LDL, cholesterol levels. They're a fantastic source of carbohydrates for those that have an insulin sensitivity or who suffer from diabetes and their high folate content (a type of soluble vitamin B) can help to reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer, and can also help to lower your body's level of homocysteine, a type of amino acid.

By including chickpeas in your healthy diet, you'll also benefit from the high levels of calcium and magnesium that they provide - the latter of which can help to prevent cardiovascular disease. If you're looking to chickpeas to help with weight loss, then rest assured that they can help to control hunger pangs due to their high fibre and protein content. They’re also a great source of iron and rich in other minerals too, such as phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

Chickpeas - how should I try them in my healthy diet?

Chickpeas can be a powerful tool to help vegetarians and vegans ensure that they're getting a good balance of nutrients as part of a healthy diet. By eating chickpeas alongside rice or whole grains, vegetarians and vegans can get an optimum level of proteins and also benefit from the calcium that they contain, which can be otherwise difficult to source if you exclude dairy products from your diet. Additionally, because many iron-rich foods are so high in calories, if you're not a meat eater, chickpeas are a fantastic way of ensuring that you maintain a good level of iron in your body.

If you want to enjoy weight loss, try using chickpeas as the primary ingredient in a tasty salad, and you could also try the delicious chickpea dip, hummus, or tasty falafels.

If you're a little wary of trying new ingredients prior to tasting them, then another option could be to try one of our fabulous new healthy ready meals. Kirsty 's Moroccan Vegetables and Quinoa ready meal contains chickpeas, along with other tasty beans and ingredients, to provide a nutrient-rich and incredibly flavoursome meal that you can simply pop in the microwave or oven, then sit back and enjoy.