Hummus is a delicious Middle Eastern dish that has become an extremely popular street food worldwide. But what do you really know about this food? Let’s dig into it (literally, if possible).
In its most basic form, hummus is actually made of a mix of cooked, mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. It is traditionally topped with some olive oil and paprika when served and eaten with pita bread.
The word hummus, rather expectedly, comes from the Arabic language. ‘Hummus’ simply means ‘chickpeas’ in Arabic—nothing too mysterious there. No one really knows where exactly in the Middle East the dish was first created, but there are a few theories, and the main one points to Egypt (and more specifically, 13th century Cairo).
Anyway, nowadays, there are multiple Middle Eastern countries where hummus is a staple food. Other than Egypt, you can find on this list countries like Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and Israel, where it has become one of the national foods.
Hummus is hardly something you would eat while trying to lose weight due to its high caloric value but thanks to being largely based on chickpeas, it can definitely be considered as healthy. It is rich in fiber, protein, vitamin B6, and other valuable nutrients.
