[net.cooks] Hummus - what is it

cjy (08/18/82)

     Would someone please tell me what the heck hummus is and how to
serve it.  I have the recipe for it that was published on the net many
months ago.  Its a paste of chick peas, garlic, salt, something called
tahini, lemon juice, water and parsley.  From the looks of it, perhaps
one spreads it on bread or uses it for a dip.   By the way, what the heck
is tahini?  Somehow I got the impression that it is soy sauce, but I would
really like to know.

                                   Chuck Young  at ......ihps3!ihuxi!cjy

smb (08/19/82)

Hummus is basically a dip or spread.  It's a Middle-Eastern recipe, and
is often served a a dip for pita bread.  (Pita bread, also known as pocket
bread, is from the same area; it's a simple bread which is rolled into thin
circles, and which puffs up, forming a pocket, while baking.)  I've tried
putting hummus on other breads, but haven't enjoyed it as much.

Hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice; some
recipes also call for cumin, parsley, paprika, etc.  Tahini is ground,
hulled, sesame seeds.

jcwinterton (09/09/82)

	There is a real Lebanese restaurant in this area (Cedars of Lebanon)
and they say that Hummus is ok on pita bread but you should really save some
as a sauce for your kebabs.  They are right!
	John Winterton, Kitchener-Waterloo.