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History and Use of Hummus
By Karin Beery
Hummus should not be used to put out fires. While this may seem like an obvious statement, Adam Sandler's latest film used it for that purpose. Though I didn't care for the movie, I did enjoy the running gag of hummus - The Wonder Substance. No one knew what it was, but they couldn't get enough of it. I love the stuff, but I realized that I don't know anything about it either. In my search for answers I have unwrapped the mystery of the mush - sort of.
Hummus bi tahina is a Middle Eastern dip, or spread, made from chickpeas. They are cooked, mashed, and mixed with tahini (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic. While different regions of the world add their own flair to it, the main ingredients don't change. How they all came to be included, however, it unclear.
The word hummus is Arabic. The food, however, has been consumed from the Mediterranean to India. Taking a look back in time and across the miles, the influences of these lands reveal themselves.
For instance, historians know that chickpeas were used prior to 4000 BC in Palestine, eventually emerging in Ancient Rome. They were grown in Mesopotamia (the Eastern side of the Arabian Peninsula - where Iraq is today). By 2500 BC they appeared in Sumer (Southern Mesopotamia) and by the 13th century, chickpeas were a noted ingredient in meals of Persia.
Tahini doesn't have specifically noted ancient roots, but sesame seeds were frequently used. They were a common fare of the Babylonians and the Assyrians as early as 1700 and 2000 BC. In the 1st century AD, the Roman writer and farmer Columella documented his life near Syria. His accounts include the sesame seed, which the Romans and Persians used for oil.
Among the remaining ingredients, salt is the only spice to have a definitive and easily traceable history throughout the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean. It's not as difficult to understand why ancient people used it in foods. But the ingredients others are as nebulous as the first two.
Olive oil, for example, can be traced back to the Old Testament Bible times. Olives were grown Syria, Palestine, and even Crete. Garlic, which has roots in Babylon, may have reached Greece by the Bronze Age, but no one is certain. The lemon juice, however, was most likely the last component to arrive. Originating in India, evidence of the fruit was found at Tusculum and Pompeii, south east of Ancient Rome. Archaeologists believe lemons arrived in Rome around the 1st century.
How any of these foods came to be included in hummus is still uncertain. There are no recipes for any hummus-type food in the existing Ancient Roman books. In fact, the first documentation of hummus was in 18th century Damascus. And it was the Phoenicians who are credited with introducing it to Western Europe. But even with its uncertain history and indefinite origin, hummus bi tahina has spread beyond the Eastern Hemisphere to become a global food.
Now that we know what it is and where it came from, what do we do with it? Hummus is most commonly used as a dip, often with pita chips or vegetables. It is served as a side dish, or an entree. People also use it as a spread for sandwiches and crackers.
While its uses and basic recipe remain the same, different cultures have added their own flair to the dish.
A traditional Lebanese hummus is garnished with colorful vegetables, or a side of sour pomegranate seeds. They also serve hummus awarma; hummus topped with pine nuts, onions, and minced meat.
The Palestinians eat hummus as well as their own hummus-inspired dip, laban ma' hummus. Laban ma' hummus replaces tahini with yogurt and olive oil with butter; it is often served hot. They also serve hummus masabacha, which uses a lemon-spiked tahini.
In Jordan, hummus mahluta (or kudshiya) combines warm chickpeas with ful, or fava bean, paste instead of tahini.
And a traditional Syrian garnish is ground beef and chopped onions.
And as for the hummus used repeatedly by the Israeli hero in the Adam Sandler movie? Most likely it was a Syrian based recipe, as you might find in many Israeli homes.
Even Americans are spicing it up by adding their own flavors. Two of my favorites include Spicy Cilantro and Roasted Pepper hummus, both available in local and national grocery stores.
So there it is - the answer to the question no one could answer in the movie: What is hummus? And if you do find your child dipping a candy bar in it, chalk it up to Adam Sandler and pass your kid a carrot stick.