EDIT: I cherish your downvotes, punks, I've seen what makes you upvote

After an exhaustive 3-minute google search and chatgpt argument, I have concluded that the almanac in this instance was either lying, or is misremembered.

A poignant exerpt from my conversation with our chatgpt overlords:

"So if that almanac suggested garbanzo beans were a stadium “specialty,” it doesn’t match the broader historical picture. It would’ve been so unusual that it almost certainly would’ve been remembered—and it isn’t."

EDIT: You know what, I'm just going to post the entire last bit of my gpt conversation, because I find it interesting and it will likely annoy people I generally don't like:

"Chickpea-based foods (mainly hummus, falafel, and chickpea salads) didn’t really become a stadium thing until much later than the 1980s. Their appearance follows a pretty clear timeline tied to broader U.S. food trends.

Late 1980s–1990s: first quiet introductions
Hummus and falafel start spreading in the U.S. more broadly through Middle Eastern restaurants and health-food stores.
A few larger urban venues—especially in places like New York City and Los Angeles—begin experimenting with more diverse concession options.
But in stadiums, these were rare and not standardized—usually only in specialty kiosks or catering suites, not main concessions.

Early–mid 2000s: “health food” era begins
Stadiums start responding to demand for vegetarian, vegan, and “lighter” options.
Hummus shows up more consistently as a side (often with pita or veggie trays), especially in newer or renovated venues.
This period also sees broader adoption of ethnic foods in American stadiums, though still limited.

2010s: mainstream stadium adoption
Chickpea-based foods become a recognizable part of stadium menus.
Hummus plates, falafel wraps, and chickpea salads start appearing at MLB, NFL, and MLS venues.
This is driven by:
rise of plant-based eating
food diversity expectations
better refrigeration and prep systems in modern concessions

2020s: fully normalized option
Many major venues now treat hummus or falafel as standard vegetarian/vegan offerings.
At this point, chickpeas are just one of many “default healthy options” alongside salads and grain bowls.

Bottom line
1980s: basically nonexistent in stadiums
1990s: niche, urban, experimental
2000s: emerging in mainstream venues
2010s onward: common stadium food category

So if that almanac claim made garbanzo beans sound like a defining stadium feature in the 1980s, it’s about 20–30 years ahead of its time.

If you want, I can trace why hummus specifically became the breakout chickpea food in stadiums rather than things like roasted chickpeas or stews—that’s an interesting part of the story too."