Take a minute to Google the word “hummus.” No, really. Go ahead. I’ll wait.<\/p>\n
Notice how many possible results there are? Google tells me that there are 3,830,000 hummus results<\/strong>, which is not quite as many results as bean dip gets (4.4 million), but it’s still impressive. I mean, potato chip dip only produces 315,000 results!<\/p>\n My point here is that hummus is a fascination. It’s a love affair. Seeing how it’s Valentine’s Day this next week I thought I’d share my own love affair with hummus, which includes my hummus recipe (took me five attempts to master it). But first up, let’s talk about hummus love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a recent New York Times<\/em> article, Hummus Catches On in America (as Long as It\u2019s Flavored)<\/a>, \u00a0reporter John T. Edge\u00a0highlighted the fact that Americans love traditional Middle Eastern hummus, but our love goes further. We indulge in all varieties of hummus, including roasted red pepper, artichoke, and peanut butter flavored hummus. Yes, peanut butter.<\/em><\/p>\n Edge interviewed Majdi Wadi, the owner of Holy Land, who explained that his peers in his homeland of Kuwait and Jordan might not approve of all the hummus flavors the company produces, since most Middle Easterners stay committed to traditional hummus<\/strong> (chickpeas with garlic, tahini, and olive oil…basically).<\/p>\n It can’t be denied that North Americans have adopted hummus and made it our own. One paragraph in the article really stood out to me.<\/p>\n “Majdi Wadi believes hummus is a breakthrough product. He talks about hummus as a bridge that spans chasms of ethnicity and religion and culture.”<\/strong><\/p>\n I agree. While living in New York I saw dozens of hummus-themed restaurants, and now, here in Colorado, I’m seeing some of the same. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like hummus (Maybe you don’t? Tell me in the comments.), and I find that I could eat hummus every day without tiring of it. As a snack, on a sandwich, as a side dish. You name it. I heart hummus.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Hummus has long been a staple food throughout the Middle Eastern part of the world–think Socrates and Plato–but the origin of hummus is not quite clear. In fact, there’s heated debate on the topic. Check out this article from CNN<\/a> that talks about the Israel-Lebanon debate over hummus ownership. \u00a0It’s intense.<\/p>\n But enough intensity for one post. That same New York Times<\/em> article introduced me to a YouTube video that I found hilarious. I apologize in advance, because this song will stick in your head.<\/p>\n