Guide Note

Popular as an appetizer in the Middle East and Greece, hummus is a creamy dip made from chickpeas, combined with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and other spices. Often served with pita, hummus has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet for thousands of years. Ancient Greek philosophers Plato and Socrates made reference to hummus' nutritional value in their writings and ancient Egyptian recipes for hummus have been discovered.

Fast Facts

1. Popular as a dip for Pita
2. High in fiber, iron, and vitamin C
3. Name is from the Arabic "hummus" for chickpeas
4. Sometimes spelled hamos, houmous, hommos, hommus, hummos, hummous or humus
5. Can add additional ingredients like Feta and Artichokes

Making Hummus

Taking the ingredients of chickpeas, garlic, tahini, dried cumin, lemon juice and olive oil, you can make your own home-made hummus. Simply take your chickpeas and soak them in cold water overnight. The next day take the chickpeas and let them simmer in a boiling pot of water for two hours and then drain and wash with cool water. Place them in a food processor until the chickpeas become paste-like and then mix in your other ingredients. Serve with pita bread.¹

Other Dips to Try

• Onion Dip
• 7 Layer Dip
• Artichoke Dip
• Crab Dip
• Raita
• Ranch Dip
• Salsa
• Spinach Dip
• Super Bowl Dip

Hummus Makes Headlines

The favorite Middle Eastern and Grecian delight made headlines in June 2008, when comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, playing the part of a character named Bruno, interviewed former Mossad agent and Israeli consultant Yossi Alpher and confused Hamas for hummus.²