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For the biological matter in soil, see Humus; for the band, see Humus (band).

Hummus with oil and lemon juice

Classic hummus, on a Yemeni serving dish

Hummus or more precisely hummus bi tahini (Arabic: حُمُّص‎; Armenian համոս hamos; also spelled houmous, hommus, hummous or humus) is a dip made of ground chickpeas, tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, and garlic, and often olive oil and paprika.

In Arabic the word hummus is used to describe the dish or just chickpeas on their own. The full name of the dish is Arabic: حُمُّص بطحينة‎ hummus bi tahina 'chickpeas with tahini'.

Hummus is popular in various local forms throughout the Middle Eastern world. While it is served in Greek restaurants in some parts of the world, hummus is a Levantine Arab dish.

Hummus is often garnished with parsley, paprika, pine nuts, tomatoes, cucumber, thinly-sliced onions, mushrooms, or more chickpeas, and then drizzled with olive oil before serving. Hummus is traditionally scooped up with flatbread (such as pita), but is increasingly popular as a dip for tortilla chips in non-Middle Eastern countries. Popular variations of Hummus include: hummus ful (pronounced /fuːl/), which is hummus topped with a paste made from fava beans boiled until soft and then crushed into a mush; hummus masubha/mashawsha, a mixture of hummus paste, warm chickpeas and tahina; and hummus mahluta, which is hummus paste covered with a combination of ful paste and warm chick peas. Hummus is also used as an appetizer dish to accompany main courses, as part of a meze, and as a dressing for falafel, Israeli salad, grilled chicken, and eggplant. The dish is very popular throughout the Middle East among all population groups.

Hummus is relatively cheap to make with either dried or canned chickpeas. The cooked or canned chickpeas are ground using a mortar and pestle, potato masher, or food processor, with olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini. Blenders are sometimes used, though they cannot produce the traditional thick consistency; hand blenders are better. A bit of the water in which the chickpeas were boiled may be added to reach the desired consistency. Garlic, salt, parsley, onions, cumin, and/or chili powder may be added. For a softer texture, the skins can be removed from the chickpeas by using a strainer. Ideally, hummus should not be refrigerated and should be eaten within an hour or two of making.

Hummus is a nutritious food, containing a large amount of protein, dietary fiber, iron, and (depending on the recipe) varying amounts of monounsaturated fat; it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

In February 2007 some UK supermarkets recalled certain hummus brands after the Marks and Spencer company found traces of salmonella in a variety of the product.[1]

Wikibooks Cookbook has an article on

Hummus

• Nutritional Information