 Hummus is a dip made of chickpea paste with various additions, such as olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, paprika, and tahini (sesame seed paste). see: Appetizers for Hummus Recipes It is popular throughout Middle East, including in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, though the hummus eaten in Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus is quite different from the hummus eaten in the Arab world and in Israel. It is traditionally scooped up with flatbread (pieces of pita) to be eaten, but it is increasingly popular as a dip for tortilla chips in non-Middle Eastern countries. It is a popular breakfast food, especially when combined with another dip named "Ful" (pronounced "Fool"), which is based on crushed fava beans. It is also used as an appetizer dish to accompany main courses.
In Arabic, "Hummus" means simply chickpea. The dish described in this article is called "Hummus wa Tahina", i.e. chickpea and sesame.
Hummus is relatively cheap to make with either dried or canned chickpeas. Dried chickpeas must be soaked in water overnight then simmered for an hour or more. The cooked or canned chickpeas are ground, using a food processor or hand blender, with olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini. A bit of the water in which the chickpeas were boiled may be added to reach the desired consistency. Garlic, salt, parsley, onions, cumin, and/or chili powder may be added. Peanut butter is occasionally substituted for tahini by Americans, but the taste of that mixture is very strange from a Middle-Eastern point of view.
It is a nutritious food, containing a large amount of protein, dietary fiber, monounsaturated fat, and iron, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is often garnished with parsley, paprika, tomatoes, cucumber, or thinly-sliced onions. Hummus (Arabic: حمٌص; Greek: Χούμους; Hebrew: חומוס; also rendered as houmous, hommus, or humus) |
