There is some debate over whether chickpeas are a bean or a pea. Chickpeas are technically a legume, which is a plant that bears their fruit in pods. Beans and peas are both types of legumes. So, technically speaking, chickpeas could be considered either a bean or a pea.
However, most people tend to classify chickpeas as a bean. This is because beans and peas are often grouped together and they have similar nutritional profiles. Both beans and peas are high in protein and fiber, and they are low in fat. Chickpeas also have a similar texture to other beans, such as black beans and kidney beans.
So, while there is some debate over whether chickpeas are a bean or a pea, most people tend to consider them to be a type of bean.