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In this study, yield ,protein content and a number of quality characters and their relationships in 18 Iranian white chickpea cultivars were determined. The differences between the cultivars for yield, cooking times,and palatability were statistically significant. The coefficient of determination (R)showed that about 60% of the variabilities in palatability of chickpea might be attributed to taste,odor,and cooking umiformity.The contributions of the above three parameters to
palatability of chickpea were 87,12,and 1%,respectively.Three cultivars designated as ,12—071-025l8,l2—071-10029,and 12-071—10020 were superior in their protein per hectar as compared to other cultivars studied. The first of the above three cultivars required a longer cooking time and was more palatable when compared to others.In addition ,cultivars 12—071—05468 and 12—071—05466 which produced medium levels of protein per hectar ranked high in their palatability while requiring a relatively short period of time to cook.