ISRAEL: FRESH HUMMUS

 

I have a strong connection with Israel since I have lived there several times, and my stepdaughters live in Tel Aviv. I took this photo above the last time I was there, taken only hours after my arrival. Eating fresh hummus from a street hummus stand in Tel Aviv was the first thing I wanted to do. 

Fresh hummus does not taste like the hummus you buy at your grocery store in the refrigerator section. It is served warm, or room temperature, with warm soft pitta bread, and often with toppings such as hardboiled eggs, onions, and paprika. There are also different types of hummus in Israel - the creamy, lighter version you'll get in the heart of Tel Aviv, or the stronger tasting, thicker version you'll get in the Arab section of the city. Abu Hassan is the mecca of hummus in Israel, which is in Jaffa, and a lively place to go. In Tel Aviv I recommend Hummus HaCarmel, in Carmel Market. But there are many hummus stands to choose from that are very good. 

Hummus is a dish you can find in many countries in the "Levant." Different variations will appear on menus in Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, and even Greece, and Cyprus. In fact, hummus in its conception is a breakfast dish in Arab countries. But the version I prefer is the Israeli version, which in reality is a version that the Israelis borrowed from their Palestinian neighbors. 

You don't have to go to the Middle East to get amazing tasting hummus. For instance, we found two places in Barcelona that are authentic called Hummus Barcelona and Silan. 

A book by an Israeli author to go with your hummus:

All the Rivers by Dorit Rabinyan

"A chance encounter in New York brings two strangers together: Liat is an idealistic translation student, Hilmi is a talented young painter. Together they explore the city, share fantasies, jokes and homemade meals, and soon fall in love. There is only one problem: Liat is from Israel, Hilmi from Palestine."

"An international bestseller, but banned in Israeli schools for its frank and tender depiction of a taboo relationship, All the Rivers, (orginally titled Borderlife), is the important story of two people testing love across one of the most deeply riven borders in the world." 

"Dorit Rabinyan was born in Kfar Saba, Israel to an Iranian-Jewish family. She has published three novels, two of which have been widely translated. She has also published a poetry collection and an illustrated children's book. She also writes for television."