Different indexes have been tested in the last four years (1984-1987) to determine the cooking quality of chickpea. The influence of the cultivars, environment and cropping techniques in Andalusia (Spain) with respect to quality were studied. Climate and cultivars greatly influenced all quality indexes. The number of grain/ounce depends more on the chickpea cultivar or type than on the environment. Protein and ash content, and cooking quality are highly influenced by the environment. Better cooking quality chickpeas with a higher protein and ash content are obtained on clayey vertisol Andalusian soils. The higher the protein and ash content of chickpea, the better its cooking quality as measured by tenderometer). The amount of water absorbed by the seed increases as the seed coat percentage increases. Seed coat percentage depends mainly on the cultivar and is related to the size and rugosity of the seed.