There is no better way to start discovering Israeli food than with good hummus in a street restaurant. Hummus is one of the most well-known dishes in Israel and you can actually find it all over the place so you must give it a try!
There are hundreds of good hummus restaurants here in Tel Aviv and to choose one of them can be quite challenging. Even after finding a good restaurant, it is challenging to order hummus because there are so many special options to choose from and on top, everything sounds and smells so incredibly delicious. At my very first hummus tasting, I decided on the classic hummus because I wanted to experience the real flavor and pure taste.
What is hummus actually?
Traditionally hummus is made from chickpeas, sesame, lemon, and garlic. It is garnished with quite a lot of tahini, a tasty sesame paste, fresh parsley, paprika powder, and some fresh chickpeas. As you can see in the picture in this restaurant they served hummus with a boiled egg on top which is also a common thing to do. This dish seems to be so easy to make but as it is with all food, you need to have the right ingredients. Apart from the basic, traditional hummus, there are as well new hummus creations such as shakshuka hummus.
How do you eat hummus correctly?
With a spoon, a fork, or with your hands? The correct answer is: with pita bread! With hummus, a large basket with pita bread and raw onion pieces is served. You rip off a piece of pita bread and just dive it into the bowl with hummus. Try to get as much hummus as you can! At first, I was wondering what the onions would be for but then a local told me to use the onion slices to eat the hummus. It’s actually less filling and it’s really tasty too so you must give those onions a try. It might seem like an odd combination but it’s really worth it.
Some background information
Hummus is such a well-known dish from the Middle East, especially from Israel but where is this dish originally from? The history of hummus is actually quite interesting because its earliest known written recipes date back to the 13th century in Cairo, Egypt. The word hummus has its roots in the Arabic language because the Arabic word حُمُّص means chickpea and people called that dish hummus bi tahina, hummus with thahini.
During my stay in Israel, I will definitely try out as many hummus restaurants and as many versions of hummus as possible. I will let you know at the end of this journey which hummus is my favorite one!
I can’t wait to try hummus in one of your recommended restaurants!