How To Make Egyptian Hummus

Hummus is one of the most commonly served dishes at Middle Eastern restaurants. Hummus means “chickpeas” in Arabic and is actually an abbreviation of the Arabic name of the dish hummus bil-tahina, which means hummus with tahini. This simple but typically bland dip has five essential ingredients: chickpeas, tahina (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice and garlic. While hummus bil-tahina is served in Egypt today, it is more frequently found at traditional restaurants than at home.  The recipe you find here is an original, authentic hummus recipe.

We don’t know the exact origins of hummus in Egypt, but it is unlikely ancient. While a jar of chickpeas and heads of garlic were found in the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun, the other basic ingredients in hummus were introduced to Egypt in the Greco-Roman period or later.

The authentic hummus recipe below  is based on the ingredients and techniques found in several medieval hummus kasa recipes, none of which give measurements of the ingredients, so you can play with quantities as you like. While hummus kasa can be served immediately, one recipe recommends leaving it for 24 hours before serving, which would allow the flavors to meld.

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