What is hummus made of?
Hummus is made of cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt, often topped with olive oil.
To make classic hummus, dried chickpeas are soaked overnight and cooked until very soft, or canned chickpeas are used. They are blended with tahini, fresh lemon juice, garlic and salt until smooth. A little cold water or ice helps make it extra creamy. It is usually served with a drizzle of olive oil and sometimes paprika, cumin or whole chickpeas on top.
The full name in Arabic is hummus bi tahini, meaning chickpeas with tahini. The word hummus simply means chickpeas. It is eaten as a dip with pita bread or vegetables, as a spread in sandwiches and as part of a meze spread with other small dishes.
Where it comes from
Hummus is popular across the Middle East, especially in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Palestine and Jordan, and several countries claim it as their own. Its exact origin is unclear. Today it is eaten worldwide, with flavors like roasted red pepper, beetroot and avocado.
Did You Know?
Lebanon and Israel have competed for the record for the world's largest plate of hummus, with Lebanon setting a record of more than 10,000 kilograms in 2010.