History & Origin
Hummus has been eaten across the Levant and wider Eastern Mediterranean for centuries, with chickpeas and sesame both native to the region long before the dish took its current smooth, tahini-forward form. It has since become one of the most recognisable mezze dishes worldwide.
Ingredients
Cooked chickpeas, tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and often a little cumin or paprika as a garnish.
Traditional Preparation
Chickpeas are cooked until very soft, then blended with tahini, lemon and garlic until completely smooth — the ratio of tahini to chickpea and the amount of blending time are what separate a good hummus from a grainy one. A pool of olive oil is added at the end.
Regional Variations
Plain classic hummus, or toppings such as extra tahini, whole chickpeas, pine nuts, or a spoon of spiced minced meat in some regional versions.
Pairings
Warm pita, olives, pickled vegetables, and other mezze dishes such as babaganush or ezme.
How It Is Served
Spread in a shallow dish with a well in the centre for olive oil, served with warm pita for scooping.
Did You Know
The word hummus simply means 'chickpeas' in Arabic — the dish's full name, hummus bi tahini, translates to 'chickpeas with tahini'.
Hummus at SkaZka Bali
SkaZka Bali serves Classic Hummus in the mezze section, with warm pita — and it also appears in the Big SkaZka Breakfast alongside ezme, babaganush and feta.