The original recipe for truly authentic hummus from Israel and everything you need to know about the "Mayo of the East"

But for all gadgets and creative kitchen adventures : How is he really, the really authentic original Hummus? How does he taste, how does he feel and - above all - how can he be perfectly made at home? On my journey through Israel, I have gone in search of clues and brought not only the traditional recipe for perfect silky-fluffy and very creamy hummus - I also have some exciting facts in the luggage, which throw a whole new light on the wonderful chickpea puree. So we can all make happy at home with our perfect Hummus:

A little Hummus customer - everything you need to know about the Mayo of the East

Bread to hummus? Actually, rather not.

In Europe, hummus is usually known as a "spread" or dip - we eat a lot of bread with relatively little hummus. In the homeland of hummus, it is the other way around: bread is more of a means to an end. You want to carry as much Hummus with a Happs in the mouth. Much bread would only saturate ugly and spoil one's appetite for the main actor too quickly: the hummus. It is better to pick small, thin pieces of flat bread in your hand and use a circular movement of the wrist (magic wipe) to bring a decent hummus out of the bowl onto the bread and into your mouth. Alternatively, the hummus is eaten with raw onion pieces or just with the spoon from the bowl.

How much olive oil comes in the perfect hummus?

In Internet you can find a huge amount of hummus- Recipes that contain olive oil. A fundamental error: with original Hummus olive oil is in no case given into the chickpea puree. It comes only as a topping on the finished Hummus e.g. together with whole chickpeas and spices for use. But then like plenty. As a professional, you are now avoiding olive oil in hummus preparation and reading below, which is the secret of perfect hummus.

A dip or whole main meal?

In Lebanese restaurants in Europe Hummus is often served as part of a rich mezze selection in miniature bowls. Or served in the Arabian snack as a sauce in the falafel bag. Hummus is actually an independent court. Pure, with boiled egg or different toppings, it is traditionally eaten in Israel in large portions for breakfast or lunch. But never for dinner. The combination of chickpeas and the other ingredients is very nutritious and is digested only slowly. Perfect for getting comfortably saturated in the hot temperatures through the morning and the day. In the evening, however, Hummus would lie too long in the mangrove and burden sleeping. Therefore, he plays at dinner rather a subordinate role and will be served under no circumstances as a main meal.

beans with lentils or rather large and small chickpeas?

Especially in the American area you go very much loose with the selection of legumes for hummus around. Beans, lentils, peas - everything is made into puree and then baptized hummus. Can you do that? However, true hummus is produced only from one type of legumes: chickpeas.Although some Hummus fans claim that they would like a difference, one can best find that out for themselves. Beans, however, are a very tasty supplement for hummus: Foul Medhames is used, for example. Made from cooked fava beans, lemon, spices and herbs and tastes great as a topping.

The secret of really velvety hummus

Authentic hummus absolutely does not have to go with rigid supermarket products or sticky pampers to do. Good hummus is silky, fluffy and very creamy. It flows in waves and almost melts in the mouth - a wonderful, addictive experience! But how do you achieve this great consistency? The secret is Tahini. The quality of a hummus is determined solely by the quality and amount of added sesame paste. In many circulating recipes, a tablespoon is almost stingily provided. Add larger quantities of olive oil. In the land of the hummus, that would be absolutely unthinkable and almost an outrage on the chickpea. The mixing ratio is not mandatory - but the best hummus restaurants use chickpeas and tahini in a 1: 1 ratio. Since Tahini is the expensive factor in the ingredients for Hummus, you can also see how well someone means with his guests.

What then - Tahina, Tahini, Tehina or just sesame paste?

Tahina is the Arabic name for sesame paste. Tahini seems more common in the Greek-speaking world. But under the name Tehina and Tehin you can buy the sesame paste. It consists - in top quality - only ground, sometimes unpeeled or roasted sesame seeds without other ingredients. The sesame seeds are slowly ground between huge stone slices until a creamy, very oily paste is formed. Many famous Hummus restaurants grind their Tahina themselves - with the amount that is needed, certainly a smart economic decision. Tahina has a very high nutritional value due to its high fat content, but it also contributes a large portion of vitamins (B1, B2, B6) and an extra-large portion of calcium to the calories. Many refer to Tahina and Hummus as Superfood. And promise that for the body it means only the best effects but not pounds on the hips.

By the way, the best Tahina can be bought in Turkish or Arab grocery stores. Also in Asian shops or kosher departments in supermarkets you sometimes get lucky. Or you can order them on the internet *. The best identifier: the Hebrew or Arabic original lettering. Sadly, sesame creams sold in health food stores sometimes taste rancid and often do not have the same quality as imported products.

The Meditative Trick with the Legume Cuticle

Some people do not like legumes in general good and get bloating from it. But that should not be a reason to give up Hummus! The part of legumes that is difficult for digestion is a relatively thick pellicle that surrounds the legume. But if chickpeas are cooked, you can easily remove them. Admittedly - this is a relatively meditative occupation, but one can, for example, can do fine with the television. For this you take each chickpea between your thumb and forefinger and press gently. The pellicle dissolves very easily and can be disposed of. Process the chickpeas without cuticles as normal. Done is delicious hummus - guaranteed without any unwanted side effects.

Hummus without blender ?! But yes!

A nice authentic alternative for all without blender: The cooked chickpeas are with a potato masher or similar. crushed roughly and then mixed well with the other ingredients.And then sell him the same day until he is all. After that, there is nothing left - until the next morning. That's why on Thursday - the day before the Jewish holiday Shabbat - long lines are formed in front of the most popular hummus-lands. Everyone is afraid that the hummus is all before you get his portion for shabbat. Hummus should be consumed on the day of preparation and at the latest the next day. It is said that longer-stored hummus becomes grim. Presumably, this means that it is oxidized by oxygen and the fine balance of acidity and creaminess gets a little bit out of joint. Of course, then he is still edible with a clear conscience - Hummus experts would rather refuse. A night or a day, a homemade hummus survives but quite loose in the fridge. But before serving it should definitely be brought back to room temperature.

Before you mix right now and be happy with your Hummus - if you want to know more about Israel, jump over to these articles:

{Travel Israel} The 12 most important Dos & Don'ts tips for traveling to the Holy Land.

A bizarre "Dead Sea goes Ballerman experience" and the most beautiful view in the world. A travelogue. {Travel Israel}

Or bake great cookies with Tahina:

Israeli Tahina Shortbread Cookies - super-soft sesame biscuits with only 5 ingredients

And here comes the original recipe for truly authentic hummus from Israel

* You can find equipment with asterisk in the well-stocked retailer or you order it above via the affiliate program links at amazon. Of course, that does not cost you a cent extra. And I get a few cents from Amazon as support for the blog work. Thank you for making that possible!