If you’ve ever gone out to enjoy a Mediterranean evening at a hookah lounge, it would be almost impossible for you to not have tasted a delightful sesame paste by the name of Hummus (at least once). In addition, if you’ve ever tasted Hummus it would be hard for you to deny it’s scrumptionesss. If you are a lover of Hummus, this month is your month! We are bringing you an authentic recipe for the tasty treat most of us know and love!

Hummus Recipe (Serves 6 – 7):

Ingredients

1 can of 14/15 oz. chickpeas¹
2 – 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons of Tahini paste (can be found at Wholefoods or any grocery store with international food)
2 – 3 cloves of garlic

Take 1/3 of the liquid from the can of chickpeas and pour in blender. Add garlic, chickpeas, Tahini paste, and lemon juice and salt to taste. Then blend very well. Drizzle with olive oil.
Serve with toasted/warmed whole wheat pita bread.

For Sundried Hummus: Prepare the recipe as instructed above but include 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes to the blender for a smooth texture or after the Hummus has been blended for a chunkier recipe.
 

History
Hummus pronounced (Hum-us or Hom-mos) is a paste with a base of chickpeas, tahini (which is sesame paste), lemon juice, and garlic. In Hebrew and Arabic, its name means, simply, chickpea. The paste has a very mild taste and is often livened up with sun dried tomatoes and/or various other spices (including paprika and olive oil). It is more properly identified as hummus bi tahina, which means chickpea in sesame paste (tahini) and is also called musabbaha. It is rumored that Sultan Saladin (Suh-la-who-deen) - a warrior from the second crusade, famous for conquering Jerusalem and exceptional pardoning of the country’s Christian citizens, who also cooked as a hobby- created Hummus. Its actual origins, however, have never been confirmed. Nonetheless, it is evident that it’s been a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean favorite, and sometimes staple, for thousands of years.

In some Middle Eastern cultures, a family’s recipe for Hummus is even considered to be a social status symbol. Serving as a modern day family crown, the age and quality of the family’s recipe indicates their status. Supposedly, true connoisseurs can even identify the family’s pedigree based on their hummus. “For example, traditionally religious families are renowned for the high garlic content of their hummus, which, according to folklore, originated as a way to keep young men and women separated.²”

Need other ideas for kicking your Hummus up a notch?

Try these!

• Pair your Hummus with:

• Mushrooms

• Parsley

• Paprika

• pine nuts

• tomatoes

• cucumber

• thinly-sliced onions

• Extra chickpeas

Drizzle your Hummus with olive oil before serving

Hummus is also great with warm or toasted flat bread, tortillas, and tortilla chips.

1. If you would prefer to use fresh chickpeas, you’ll need about 1 – 1 ½ cups of fresh chick peas. If purchased in bulk, the chickpeas must be soaked in water for 7 – 10 hours, and then boiled for approximately 7 – 8 hours or until slightly soft (if purchased in a package, the package should contain explicit instructions).

2. Information obtained from Wikipedia.