Friday, March 2, 2012

Hummus and History

There are two topics which rank the oldest to study about in human history: religion and food.

In regards to food, hummus is thought to be one of the oldest staples in man's history of consumption. About.com and Helium states that it dates back to Ancient Egypt. Other websites say that its origins are much older. While we may not know when exactly and where exactly it was first invented, we know that it's an old recipe tried and true.

The basic element of hummus is cooked and pureed chickpeas. Follow that up with one or more of these ingredients:

~lemon juice
~sesame paste (tahini)
~olive oil
~ garlic

From there you can blend all kinds of seasonings and spices. The list of combinations is as great as the maker's imagination. Try something crazy, like cinnamon with something else (cooked and pureed sweet potato? Freshly chopped apple?) You can look up a plethora of recipes online, or you can be bold and make your own. The point is to not limit yourself. Many people have thrown a recipe together while fighting against the cultural norm of food, but after doing so, their concoction was widely accepted because of its deliciousness. So don't be hurt if people don't accept your idea off the bat. People in general seem to be xenophobic in regards to their food. Give them time to warm up. :)

Unless you make something disgusting, like Lard & Raisin Hummus. That's just gross. Some hummus ideas are big no-nos. :(

Finally, did you know that hummus is the Arabic word and garbanzo the Spanish word for Chickpea? Fascinating, isn't it? It's the little things you learn that make you smart around the water cooler at work.
~The Harvest Crier~

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