It’s a long debated question, sometimes a joke, and it’s also become a serious competition. Who does hummus best in the Middle East? Hummus is a dip and a spread, but Middle Easterners eat it as a hearty breakfast, warm off the stove, with a pita, lemon, parsley and lots of olive oil. A dollop of cooked fava beans, ful, is also welcome among hungry working men. Since the Hezbollah started sending missiles to Israel, people from Lebanon have started engaging with Israelis across the border, asking for a hand in peace. Their common language: hummus.
One X account Mount Levnon, represents a Christian Maronite group of Lebanese. The identity of the account is anonymous but they are advocating for “a free Maronite state, committed to a Mediterranean alliance with Israel , Cyprus, and Greece.” And one of the ways they engage with Israel is by sharing hummus tips and secrets. (We have the best recipe of hummus in Israel, provided by Maxim founders – Jews and Arabs who co-own a restaurant in Haifa).
But Mount Levnon might not agree. “I’m raising my kids to be super friendly with Israelis, treat them like family, chat about anything under the sun. But the moment hummus or falafel comes up, that’s where we draw a BIG, BOLD RED LINE,” they write on their account, joking that real hummus is from Lebanon and that “fake” hummus is from Israel and it’s marketed under the Sabra brand.
One on team Israel, Klaas, writes. “If only there could be peace and open borders so we can come sit around the table together and fight this out once and for all.:
But When Mount Levon saw that Israelis were also making a version of hummus made from chocolate, the line was crossed.
Mount Levnon, who is pro-Israel and is starting to learn Hebrew says jokingly, “I’m officially breaking the ceasefire, stop putting chocolate in your hummus. Come on Israel, we need to talk.”
Carlos Abadi on team Israel replies, “We surrender, admit to heresy, and accept the punishment.”
Slow Food chef Moshe Basson from Jerusalem who is from Chefs for Peace, told Green Prophet that hummus was eaten by Queen Ester in the Bible. It’s roots go way back. As for who made it first, maybe Adam and Eve? Who makes it best? The heat is on. Also don’t be surprised that if you visit Israel or Lebanon that locals fight over which joint makes the best hummus. Some more on the debate about hummus in Jaffa.
The classic hummus and ful recipe
Make your Middle East friends proud with this genuine and tested recipe for hummus with ful
- 1 pound dried fava or haricot beans, soaked overnight (organic everything if possible)
- 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight
- 1 1/3 cup tehini
- 6 eggs
- 2 lemons, juice of 2 halves and one more tbsp
- 2 large onions
- olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- water for cooking
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The Ful.
Pick over the beans.Rinse them and put them to soak overnight in plenty of water. Next morning, drain the beans and put them up to cook in fresh water.Add a fat clove of garlic, a bay leaf, and some olive oil to the water. Cook the beans till tender.
Favas take 1-3 hours. If you choose white beans, they will cook in far less time – up to an hour.When the beans are soft but not falling apart, crush 2 fresh cloves of garlic into a small bowl. Stir 1 tsp. each of salt and cumin in, and add this seasoned garlic to the bean pot.
Add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir the beans up. Crush some of them with a potato masher or a fork, so that they’ll absorb the flavors of the seasoning. Let them cook another 5 minutes.
Then either turn the flame off, or start serving.
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The Hamine or Slow-cooked Eggs
You can just boil eggs as usual, or take this opportunity to do it the old-fashioned way. Make several, it’s not worth the trouble for only one or two. Take 6 eggs and the peels from 2 large onions. Put it all in a pot.
Cover the eggs and peels in plenty of cold water; bring to a simmer.Drizzle a layer of olive oil over the surface. This prevents the water from evaporating during the long cooking period. Simmer the eggs, covered, over the very lowest flame you can achieve for 6 hours or overnight. They are delicate, creamy eggs, unlike any others.
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The Hummus
Put 2 cups of dried chickpeas in a separate bowl. Cover them with plenty of water and let them soak overnight. As with the beans, drain them, and cook in fresh water till soft. It’s not a sin to open a can of chickpeas either. Although fresh-cooked always taste the best, canned chickpeas still make good hummousDo not add salt to either beans or chickpeas till they are completely cooked and easy to mash.Put the cooked or canned chickpeas in a blender or food processor.
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To them, add
1 fat clove of garlic
3 Tblsp. of tehini
Salt to taste
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tblsp. olive oil
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Tehini
Put into a bowl:
1 cup raw tehina paste
3/4 – 1 cup water, depending on how thick or thin you like it
1 fat clove garlic, crushed
salt olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
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Get Blending
Blend all the ingredients, either by hand or in the blender. If you’re not used to the ways of tehini paste, don’t be alarmed that it initially becomes very thick when mixed with water. Keep mixing, it will smooth out amazingly.
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To serve:
Spoon a generous amount of hummous onto the plate. Take the spoon and spread it into a neat circle, thinner in the middle.
Spoon a ring of tehina on the inside of the hummous circle.
Put a pile of hot beans in the center of the plate. Top the beans with a little chopped onion, chopped parsley, and a peeled, still-warm hamine egg. Squeeze lemon juice over the whole; drizzle olive oil over it. If you’re fond of hot sauce, drizzle a few drops of it over the dish too.
Put some small plates or bowls with pickles, olives, sliced onions, or pickled lemons in them.Now tear a chunk off your pita and use it to scoop up some of everything. Savor every mouthful, it’s the real McCoy.
