Food · Fermented foods

Hiyokomame (Chickpeas / Garbanzo Beans)

ひよこまめ (Hiyokomame)

Also known as: Hiyokomame, Chickpeas, Garbanzo beans, Cicer arietinum, ヒヨコマメ, ガルバンゾ, Chana

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	ひよこまめ
Common Japanese notations	ひよこまめ, ひよこ豆, ヒヨコマメ, ガルバンゾ, チャナ
Origin	Chickpea (Cicer arietinum); not native to Japan, all supply imported (principally from Mexico, USA, Canada, India, Australia, Turkey); modern Japanese consumption growing with hummus, falafel, curry, and salad applications driven by globalization of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine influences
Typical functions	Hummus production — primary modern Japanese hiyokomame application, Falafel and Mediterranean cuisine ingredient, Indian curry (chana masala, chana dal) ingredient, Salad bean (bean salad, chickpea salad), Plant protein ingredient (emerging functional food)
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard agricultural product labeling. Imported origin (Mexico, USA, Canada, India, Australia, Turkey) disclosure required. Hiyokomame is not a designated allergen but legume allergies are documented.

Hiyokomame (ひよこまめ) — chickpeas / garbanzo beans (Cicer arietinum) — is not native to Japan but has emerged as a growing OEM category driven by globalization of Mediterranean and Indian cuisine influences. The Japanese hummus market in particular has expanded substantially since approximately 2015, with major retailers (KALDI, Costco, premium supermarkets) carrying multiple hummus retail SKUs. The OEM applications include: hummus production (the primary modern Japanese hiyokomame application), falafel and Mediterranean cuisine ingredient, Indian-influenced curry (chana masala, chana dal — restaurants and home-cooking retail), salad bean applications, and chickpea flour for gluten-free bakery applications. All Japanese chickpea supply is imported (principally from Mexico, USA, Canada, India, Australia, Turkey). Domestic production is essentially zero — the climate is unsuitable for chickpea cultivation. For OEM positioning: the imported origin is the standard reality, and origin transparency (e.g., 'Mexican-origin chickpea hummus' or 'Indian-origin chana masala') is appropriate.

Classification

Tags below link to other ingredients sharing the same attribute, so you can pivot from one ingredient to its peers.

Product applications

Functions

Flavoring

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient

Origin

Plant-derived

Used in (typical product categories)

Finished-product categories that commonly include this ingredient in Japanese-market formulations.

Dry chickpea retail (small package sizes, growing category)
Pre-cooked chickpea cans (the volume retail format)
Hummus retail packs (rapidly growing Japanese market)
Frozen pre-cooked chickpea ingredient supply
Chickpea flour (gram flour / besan) for bakery and gluten-free applications

What it is

Hiyokomame is Cicer arietinum, the chickpea / garbanzo bean of Mediterranean and South Asian origin. The bean is round, beige-cream colored, with a distinctive 'beak' shape giving it the Japanese name 'hiyoko' (chick — the bean shape resembles a chick's head). The two principal global cultivars are: (1) Kabuli (the larger, lighter-colored chickpea, common in Mediterranean cuisine — Mexican, Spanish, Turkish supply); (2) Desi (the smaller, darker chickpea, common in Indian cuisine).

Nutritionally, dry chickpeas per 100g provide 336 kcal, 20.0g protein, 5.2g fat, 60.6g carbohydrates with 16.3g dietary fiber. Mineral content includes K 1200mg, Mg 130mg, P 270mg, Fe 4.8mg per 100g.

Industrial supply: 100% imported. Mexico is the volume leader for Kabuli chickpeas; USA, Canada, Australia provide additional Kabuli supply; India is the volume leader for Desi chickpeas with significant exports; Turkey and Spain provide premium Mediterranean-positioned Kabuli.

Typical uses in Japanese products

Hummus production — the primary modern Japanese hiyokomame application. Hummus retail has grown substantially since 2015, with KALDI, Costco, Seijo Ishii, and other premium retailers carrying multiple SKUs. Major brands include MeijiYa, Neo Foods, and imported brands.

Falafel and Mediterranean cuisine — Mediterranean restaurants in Japan use chickpeas extensively. Frozen falafel retail products are growing.

Indian curry — chana masala (chickpea curry) and chana dal (split chickpea dal) are core Indian cuisine items featured in Indian restaurants and home-cooking retail.

Salad bean — pre-cooked chickpeas for salad, bean salad mixes, and bowl-meal applications.

Chickpea flour (gram flour / besan) — used in gluten-free bakery, Indian-influenced bread (besan-based), and emerging Japanese gluten-free product development.

Plant protein and functional positioning — chickpea flour and chickpea protein are emerging in Japanese plant-protein product development.

For OEM: hummus production OEM (Japanese-market focus, with regional flavor variations), pre-cooked chickpea retail (cans, pouches), Indian curry ready-meal retail (chana masala), chickpea flour ingredient supply for bakery applications, and gluten-free product OEM.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard agricultural product labeling. Imported origin disclosure (Mexico / USA / Canada / India / Australia / Turkey) required.

Hiyokomame is not a designated allergen, but legume allergies and oral allergy syndrome reactions exist.

Hummus and chickpea retail product labeling: standard food labeling rules apply.

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Imported as chickpeas. Major established global category.
USA	Imported and domestically produced. Major established US category, growing with health and Mediterranean trends.
China	Established Chinese chickpea market.
Korea	Growing chickpea market with Mediterranean cuisine influence.

Example products

Example finished products will be added after verification of origin (Mexico / Canada / India / other), cultivar (Kabuli / Desi), product format (dry / pre-cooked / hummus / flour), and target application.

All brand names and product names referenced anywhere on this site are the property of their respective owners. Example entries are provided for informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement.

Related ingredients

Used in similar product applications

Other ingredients commonly used in the same finished-product families.

Sharing similar functions

Ingredients that overlap on functional benefit tags.

From the same origin

Other ingredients that share an origin classification.

FAQ for OEM buyers

Q. Is the Japanese hummus retail category a viable OEM growth opportunity?

Yes — the Japanese hummus retail category has shown substantial growth since approximately 2015 and continues expanding. Drivers include: (1) Mediterranean cuisine globalization influence on Japanese consumer awareness; (2) Health-positioning trends favoring plant-protein and high-fiber products; (3) Premium retail (KALDI, Costco, Seijo Ishii, premium supermarket sections) carrying expanding hummus SKUs; (4) Snacking and 'dip' culture growth (hummus with vegetables, crackers, pita); (5) Major restaurant chains (Soup Stock Tokyo, Kura-zushi premium menu, etc.) featuring hummus-influenced items. For OEM positioning: hummus production OEM with Japanese-market-specific flavor variations (yuzu hummus, miso hummus, sesame hummus, wasabi hummus, etc.) is a growth opportunity; cost-positioned and premium positioning both have market share; private-label hummus production for retailers (Costco PB, supermarket PB) is a substantial volume opportunity; ingredient supply (pre-cooked chickpeas for foodservice and processed-food production) is a stable B2B opportunity. Origin transparency (Mexican-origin Kabuli is the standard hummus chickpea) is appropriate disclosure.

Sources · Last reviewed: 2026-04-28

Editorial — Japan hummus retail growth analysis

References

MEXT Standard Tables of Food Composition — ひよこまめ
Editorial — Japan hummus retail category growth reference

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.