Hummus, an Israeli Love Story

Hummus is a favorite Middles Eastern spread in Israel. It is practically served at every meal in almost every Israeli home. Hummus consists of cooked mashed chickpeas with tahini seasoned with lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, garlic, a bit of paprika and parsley.  Tubs of hummus fill refrigerators all over the globe, but where can the best be found? One contender for the gold medal is Israel, where, despite political differences, locals have embraced this Arabic dish as their own.

Although the origin of hummus (which simply means ‘chickpea’ in Arabic), is unclear, people have been consuming this thick savory paste for millennia in the Middle East. Medieval recipe books show it was eaten in Egypt and the Levant (Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon) before spreading to Turkey, Greece and across the Mediterranean.

The main ingredients behind hummus have been around for a long time. The actual use of chickpeas was believed to have started way back in Egypt about 7000 years ago, but the mashing into the hummus as it is done today first started around the 13th century. Hummus back then also used pickled lemons and vinegar for flavoring. The first documented proof of hummus’ existence comes from a 19th century text originating from Damascus

Ever since hummus made its way to Israel, it has become the essence of an entire food culture in Israel. In fact, according to Israel-based hummus manufacturer Sabra Salads, Israelis consume twice as much hummus as their Arab neighbors. The most popular version of hummus in Israel is served warm in a large bowl, sprinkled with parsley, cumin and other spices. It has the consistency of a very thick soup and is scooped up with hot pita bread, raw onion and pickled cucumbers.

In areas under Palestinian authority, hummus is served at breakfast, sometimes accompanied with labaneh (cold yoghurt) and fresh mint leaves. Indeed, many of the Arab hummus eateries are only open until 2pm each day, following the traditional Arabic saying that ‘kings eat hummus in the morning’, referring to the tradition of cooking a pot of chickpeas overnight and savoring the freshest portion at dawn.

Israel originally adopted hummus as its unofficial national dish primarily due to Jewish Kashrut laws that deal with eating and food preparation. Religious Jews tend to buy only kosher-certified products and they separate their meat and dairy foods. Since hummus complements vegetarian, dairy and meat dishes, it became a popular choice in most Israeli meals, and over time, has become much more than just a dip.

Hummus literally represents the melting pot of Israeli society. In the last century, Jewish immigrants from Muslim countries such as Iraq, Yemen and Morocco each brought with them their own unique hummus variations. For example, Iraqis serve hummus with sabich (fried eggplant and boiled eggs) while Moroccans prefer Hasa Al Hummus, a vegetarian chickpea soup. 

If you ask Israelis for a recommendation of the best hummusia (hummus eatery) in Israel, you will get many different responses.  The truth is that everyone has their preferences.  The title of best hummus is hotly contested and there are as many styles (Lebanese, Jordanian, Syrian, Druze, etc., etc.) as there are opinions. If nothing else, you always have the option to make your own hummus.