History of Hummus

Hummus is made from two key ingredients – chickpeas and tahini. Chickpeas has been said to be one of the first legumes to be cultivated, dating back 10,000 years in Turkey. While tahini, a sesame paste, has been documented in Arabic cookbooks as early as the 13th Century.

The combination of the aforementioned ingredients to produce hummus has been cited in various biblical texts such as the Hebrew Bible. Others say its origins lie in Nepal or northern India. More recently in 2008, a hummus war erupted between Lebanon and Israel. While the Lebanese government’s petition to the EU to officially deem hummus a Lebanese dish proved ineffective, they found a way to gain this recognition through the Guinness Book of World Records. After some back and forth “cook-offs” between Lebanon and Israel that resulted in several satellite dishes of hummus, Lebanon got the last word in 2010 with its record 11-ton dish of hummus. The plate created for the hummus also broke records at nearly 24 feet in diameter.

Regardless of whether this world record serves as any indication of hummus’ true origins, it’s clear that this dish is a symbol of tradition and patriotism for many.

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