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Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
A jute sack brought back from a ship arriving from the Near East, sown at the foot of an ancient volcano in Provence: that, so they say, is how Rougiers became the chickpea capital.
Pulse from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
According to the village's oral tradition, a Rougiérois working in Marseille was cleaning the holds of a ship arriving from the Near East when he retrieved seeds that were unknown in Provence at the time. In those times of dearth when nothing went to waste, he filled a jute sack with a good two kilograms of the little beige spheres, eager to plant them in his stony soil. Back at the ferme de Poulagnier, he is said to have sown them at the foot of the only recorded volcano in Provence, dating back two hundred million years.
The peas sprouted, the seedlings flowered, and once dry, the pods yielded tiny chickpeas far superior to any other: the village soon realised that the volcanic basalt soil was particularly fertile for this legume from across the Mediterranean, and every farmer adopted the new crop. Legend or not, that is what the village elders recount.
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Rougiers lies at the foot of the Puy Runnier, an ancient volcanic formation whose light, well-drained soils are particularly suited to chickpea cultivation. The legume grew unaided on the limestone soil, requiring neither maintenance nor watering — long dubbed 'the poor man's meat', it was prized for its high protein content, low cost, and good keeping qualities once dried.
This production became a true part of the village's heritage. On 25 August 2008, a handful of Rougiérois registered the Confrérie du Pois Chiche de Rougiers with the prefecture, whose statutory purpose is to 'promote the Pois chiche de Rougiers and its surroundings, its derivative products, and its environment'. Since then, every second Sunday in September, the brotherhood has organised the Fête du Pois Chiche de Rougiers: a gathering at the town hall and inductions, a procession through the village, a craft fair, a gourmet feast based on chickpeas, and a chickpea soufflé competition to bring the day to a close.
Appearance
Small, round grain, beige in colour, distinctly smaller than the average chickpea.
Taste
A pronounced nutty flavour, judged 'exceptional' by the inhabitants of the village.
Texture
Tender; its small size also allows it to cook faster than average.
AI-generated illustration
AI-generated illustration
Like other Provençal chickpeas, that of Rougiers lends itself to milling into flour, the basis of specialities from the Mediterranean Midi: the cade toulonnaise, a golden flatbread made with olive oil, or panisses marseillaises, sliced and then fried. On the day of the Fête du Pois Chiche, it is enjoyed above all directly from the producers and during the gastronomic meal organised by the confrérie, generally paired with truffle products from the Var terroir.
No official quality sign protects the Pois chiche de Rougiers: its renown remains local. Since 25 August 2008, the Confrérie du Pois Chiche de Rougiers, an association under the 1901 law registered with the prefecture, has watched over the safeguarding and promotion of this crop and its derivative products; every second Sunday in September, it organises the Fête du Pois Chiche de Rougiers.
No producer is listed for this product yet.