Hummus-Humus.com

Hummus is derived from an Arabic word and therefore has several variations of how it is spelt and pronounced in the English language.  Most popular in the United Kingdom is Hummus however in countries such as turkey it is generally known as humus.  Houmous, Hummus, humus, hommos or hoummos, whatever you call it houmous is a delicious paste made from crushed chick peas, tahini, lemon juice garlic olive oil and a little salt.

Generally served as an appetiser dressed with olive oil and served with warm flatbread such as Arabic bread or pitta.  It is best served chilled and can be garnished with a variety of spices and chopped vegetables such as olives peppers or cucumber.

Humus is often served as a complete meal or snack, being a staple diet amongst Palestinians and popular throughout the Arab world, Israel, Greece and Turkey.  It can be served with hot chicken lamb or beef.  It is often served with other traditional foods such as falafel, kibbe and tabouleh.

Actually the preparation of Humus is both a culinary and visual art form.  The presentation of the hummus is often enhanced with intricate designs of garnish and patterns produced by the careful application of paprika, turmeric or other spices. 

The history of hummus is uncertain although almost certainly of Arabic origin the exact date of its invention is unknown.  Some reports claim that it was prepared as far back as the twelfth century.  Its popularity has spread across the world and hummus is considered a tasty and trendy component of a healthy diet.

Now popular in Europe and the United States, many supermarkets sell tubs of pre prepared homous, either the plain variety or with a range of flavour additives including some very non traditional ingredients such as jalapeno peppers!

While the quality of shop bought hommous can be very good, it isn't difficult to make at home yourself.  The ingredients are readily available in most places and all that is needed is a small blender or food processor to chop and mix the ingredients.

Houmous also makes a tasty addition to some other foods that are not traditionally served with chickpeas.  The picture to the left shows a shop bought jalapeno flavoured houmous served as an addition to chili con carne. 

The smooth cool texture of the houmous contrasts sharply with the hot spicy flavour and texture of the chili producing an exquisite combination that will delight your tongue

Houmous can be easily made from dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight or from canned chickpeas that don't require pre-soaking and can be blended immediately.

Hummus is most traditionally associated with Arabic food and in particular the Lebanese Mezze which comprises of mainly chopped vegetable based salads dishes served in small dishes much like spanish tapas.  The Mezza not only tates superb but also is beautifully prepared and presented to provide a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.