Israelis will vehemently debate which dish best represents their national food. Falafel is the country’s famous street food, as well as the nation’s favorite snack. Schnitzel holds an honored place as Israel’s comfort food and can be found as a main staple in any child’s lunchbox. But Hummus is the food that stirs a real passion in Israelis; this is the food that will wake one up, invoke the senses, and leave one wanting more. Israelis travel far and wide to test out hummus eateries and to partake is what they consider the great culinary art of humus eating. True aficionados will wait in line for hours for a chance to savor local varieties of this national food, and endless contests and votes are declared each year to discover the best hummus establishment in the country. Do Israelis get bored with the topic of hummus? Never.
The tradition of eating hummus originated in the Arab world and was adopted by Israel shortly after independence in 1948. Israelis now out-eat their Arab neighbors, consuming an average of 22 lbs. of hummus per person each year.
The hummus you eat in Israel will not resemble the supermarket varieties found in the United States or the kind you get in a California health café. Israeli hummus is thick and creamy, laden with tahini (sesame paste), the secret to its richness and consistency. This kind of hummus is perfect for scooping with pieces of pita, which is the preferred way of eating this culinary delight. And don’t count on your hummus arriving as a side dish to a main meal. Hummus is the main attraction, a concept those of us on the outside often have trouble understanding. At a real hummus eatery, hummus is the only thing on the menu. At such a place you only need to decide which type of hummus you want to try: hummus with ful (fava beans), hummus basar (with ground beef), hummus pitriot (with sautéed mushrooms), hummus beitzah (with sliced hardboiled egg), hummus masabacha (with hot whole chickpeas), or classic hummus (sprinkled with cumin and paprika and drizzled with olive oil). Small bowls of cured olives, pickles and raw onion slices traditionally accompany any hummus plate.
There is no designated way to eat hummus and some shop owners say they can identify which city customers hail from by how they consume their hummus plate. Tel Avivians will be more refined and slowly eat their hummus with a fork, while Jerusalemites will follow the more traditional Middle Eastern way of eating this cuisine by scooping up their hummus with torn bits of pita. In fact, if you don’t want to stand out as a tourist, this is how you should eat this dish. Rip, Scoop, Eat.
First, you rip your pita into small pieces. Take a piece of torn pita and scoop up the hummus. Pop the hummus and pita into your mouth and eat. Now you know how to enjoy hummus like a sabra (native Israeli).
If there is a specific hummus establishment you really want to try, I recommend getting there early. At lunch time long lines form as people wait for their turn to sit and enjoy this creamy concoction. However, don’t expect a leisurely lunch. The staff will remind you that this is not a café: order your hummus, eat, pay, and leave. Let the next customer sit down. When the pot of hummus runs out then tough luck; the restaurant is closed. At the more popular hummus joints this can happen as early as one pm, hence the warning to plan for an early lunch.
Yes, no trip to Israel would be complete without an opportunity to sit down like a native and enjoy a bowl of hummus, the country’s national food. Just remember to rip, scoop and eat, and no one will ever suspect you are a tourist testing out the local cuisine.
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