The first time I tried hummus was three years ago during a little road-trip through Luxembourg’s north. It was the end of a great training course held in the Grand-Duchy. People from all over the world came to my little country to discuss and think about intercultural communication and cooperation. This was my first experience within the European Youth in Action Program. Some of the participants were staying a bit longer to discover Luxembourg a little bit more in detail.
On a sunny day we went up north to the lake to relax after the busy days. At some point all of us were hungry and we drove to the nearest supermarket. Anne, my Luxembourgish friend, who just came back from a 2 months internship in the Middle East convinced us to buy hummus. Of course our Jordan friend agreed immediately and the two of us remaining were curious to discover this chickpea delight. From that very moment on I am a huge fan of hummus, knowing that the industrial one cannot compete with the original. So I decided that when I do already like the hummus from a Luxembourg supermarket that I need to try the original as well.
Once said, now done! Last year I travelled to Lebanon for a training course on human rights. I had one and a half day after my arrival to discover the little country before the training started. On the first day my friend Ghassan took me to an authentic Lebanese restaurant. I was happy because knowing him we could have totally gone to a Pizza place. My friend ordered 4-5 dishes we shared in order to have me try a maximum of mezze. This is how you call the different dishes which form one meal. After the training Ghassan took me to the south of Lebanon where we have delicious lunch just next to the sea. My choice was made in a second – hummus of course. I couldn’t have enough of it and everywhere we went I took hummus. Before leaving my friend bought me a jar of original tahini which I used regularly back home.
I recently tried several times to prepare hummus with different recipes, and not later than two months ago, my Lebanese friend here in Luxembourg brought me an original Lebanese cookbook. I tried it once, twice adapting the recipe to my personal taste without changing it too much. I still want it to be as authentic as possible. I love the Lebanese kitchen and be sure to find another range of varied recipes in the upcoming months. I’d say it’s one of my all time favorite kitchens. So if you’re reading the post, thanks again dear friend! This definitely was a perfect gift for a globetrotter like me. My best travel memories are always in relation with food; friends & food juste simply work without one another.
Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
- 250 g cooked
- 150 ml tahini
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 lemon (juice)
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 60 ml water
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- If you’re using dried chickpeas, first follow the instructions on the package. If you’re using canned chickpeas, cook them for another ten minutes until even softer.
- Now, whether you chose dried chickpeas or cooked ones, peel them. Experience shows that the hummus gets much creamier if you peel them.Put one single chickpea between your thumb and your middle finger, push a little bit until it pops out.
- Now mash the chickpeas with a blender. Add the tahini, the crushed garlic and the lemon juice. Blend again until you get a thick and dry mix.
- Add the salt and the water little by little while blending again until it gets smooth and creamy.
- Garnish with a drizzle of good quality olive oil and smoked paprika powder.
- Enjoy!!!
DID YOU MAKE THE RECIPE?
Share your creations and tag me @passionmeetscreativity #passionmeetscreativity. I can’t wait to see what you’ve made!
