Modern Israeli Cuisine - Hummus
Deconstructing Modern Israeli Cuisine - Hummus
Over the last decade, hummus has become a ubiquitous snack food in the west, perfect for dipping crudité or crackers, as healthy as it is delicious. It can be found as a side dish at most Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants and is served with falafel, shawarma, and pita at both fast casual and fine dining restaurants.
Hummus certainly deserves its relatively recent stardom outside of the Levant but the difference between real hummus, serious hummus, and the options from supermarket shelves is night and day.
In Israel, hummus is as much religion as food item, with various neighborhoods and restaurants, called hummusia, serving a wide range of different styles. It has even been called “the great uniter” for its ability to bring Israeli Jews, Arabs, and Christians together in agreement.
Like many other Israeli and North African dishes, hummus takes a few simple ingredients and creates a complex harmony of flavors and textures. The word “hummus” means chickpea in Arabic and references to the dish may be as far back as the bible. Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato referred to hummus in some of their writings, so it's clear that hummus (or variations of a mashed chickpea dish) has been a hugely popular dish in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine since the dawn of civilization.
What is Hummus?
At its most basic level, hummus contains only a few ingredients: cooked and mashed chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, and a few spices. From this base literally untold numbers of variations have grown to incorporate vegetables and meat, herbs, eggs, beans, mushrooms, and even seafood. In Israel, hummus may be eaten hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack, and as an entrée, side dish, or as part of a mezze platter. It is truly one of the most versatile dishes in the world.
Like shakshuka, fattoush, and many other modern Israeli dishes, there is a huge range of styles based on the original country of origin. For Israeli chefs, extra amounts of tahini are the norm. In Jordan, yogurt is often used in place of tahini, and in Turkey, olive oil is replaced by butter.
Hummus at Saba
Chef Alon Shaya of Saba restaurant in New Orleans has spent decades perfecting his hummus recipe. True to the diverse range of styles available in Israel, he offers several versions ranging from his take on “classic tahini” to options that incorporate local Louisiana ingredients including blue crab, local lamb, and even brussels sprouts and pickled jalapenos.
About Chef Alon Shaya
Alon Shaya is Chef-Partner of Pomegranate Hospitality, which includes Saba in New Orleans, Safta in Denver, and both Miss River and Chandelier Bar at the Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans.
He is the author of Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel. Part memoir and part cookbook, Shaya shares Alon’s deeply personal journey of survival and discovery, exploring the evolution of a cuisine and the transformative power and magic of food and cooking.
Alon, a multiple James Beard Foundation Award winner, was named Best Chef: South in 2015 and his restaurant won Best New Restaurant the following year. He was named one of the "50 People Who Are Changing the South" by Southern Living and one of the "50 Most Influential Jews in America" by The Forward.