Banza Banza!

[Jenise]

Haven't tried it yet but I'm very excited about this product I bought yesterday at Whole Foods Market: Banza 'rice' made out of chickpeas. Specifically, the ingredients listed are chickpeas, potato starch, xanthan gum, sea salt. So vegan, too. An 11 ounce pkg, it suggests it can be used in fried rice, risotto and paella which means it's fairly substantial. Cooks in 4-5 minutes. Strangely, it's made in Riverside, California (where nobody makes anything). And it offers these impressive comparisons between it and brown rice: 11 g protein to 3 g, 5 g fiber vs. 2, and 25g carbs vs. 36.

So it's sort of a nutritious version of orzo?

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Pretty much. I'm going to cook it this morning thinking it might be an interesting textural ingredient in a fresh/salad version of the classic garbanzo bean/tomato stew. At least, most likely, none of my guests tonight will say "oh I had that yesterday."

I saw Banza products in the pasta isle at the local supermarket. In addition to the orzo, they make a whole range of pasta shapes. It looks like a good option for gluten-intolerant folks who like pasta.

-Paul W.

[Jenise]

Haven't used mine yet. Soon!