    
Hummos
The version of Hummos that we are most familiar with is made from cooked, ground chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini (sesame seeds ground into a paste). The ingredients are made into a thick, pasty purée that can be used as a dip for pita bread and fresh vegetables or as a spread for sandwiches.
Hummos originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, though it is so common throughout the area -- in Greece and Israel as well as the Arab countries -- that there is no way of really knowing where it actually started.
Egyptian recipes tend to add cumin. Some variations in Syria don't even use tahini.
Many modern takes on Hummos now add any of the following: mashed avocado, roasted eggplant, roasted garlic, fresh ginger, green pepper, mint, red pepper flakes, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. There are also versions that, aiming to be lower-fat, are made from other beans such as soybeans. Feh.
Cooking Tips
The beans need to be mashed finely. You can do this by hand, with a ricer or a food processor (making Hummos with a food processor is particularly easy).
Some modern Foodies will have you peel the cooked chickpeas -- that's right, peel all 497 of them -- before you mash them. (That's not going to happen.)
Nutrition
Very high in fat, but none of the fat is saturated (at least in the recipes with the standard ingredients: if your variation includes bacon fat, all bets are off).
Otherwise, very healthy.
Equivalents
1 cup Hummos = 250g = 9 oz by weight
Storage
Freezes well. If the oil from the tahini separates when you thaw the Hummos, just stir the oil back in. Once thawed, you may need to adjust the consistency with a little added lemon juice or oil.
Literature & Lore
It's a myth that Plato has Socrates mention Hummos. What Socrates mentions, in Latin translations, is "humus", which is earth, as in topsoil. Should've stayed in school, luv.
Language Notes
There are many possible ways to spell Hummos in English -- such as Homos, Hummis, Houmous and Humus. The bottom line is that there really is no proper English spelling. An English transliteration of the full name in Arabic would be Hummos bi Tahina or Hummos bi'l-Tahina. The word "Hummos" actually means "chickpea" in Arabic.
Other entries for Pastes
Adjika, Cenovis, Hummos, Miso Pastes, Pastes, Pipián Paste, Sweet Red Bean Paste, Tauco, Umeboshi Paste
Other entries for Condiments
Liebig's Extract of Meat, Mayonnaise, Relish, Sauces, Spreads, Tracklements, Vinegar, Wasabi
Related Recipes
Grilled Eggplant and Feta Salad, Nummy Nachos
Top...
|
|
| |
|