Hummous me

July 21, 2008 - 11:20 AM by

aba gil hummousHaven’t made it to see You Don’t Mess with the Zohan yet, but word has it that hummous — that beloved chickpea paste of so many an Israeli — has made it to the big screen and plays a major role in protaganist Dvir Zohan’s life.

Hummous is practically a food group in Israel, a staple that is thought to have originated in the ancient Mediterranean as one of the world’s oldest known prepared foods. Made of mashed chickpeas and blended with tahina (sesame paste), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic, it’s one of those dishes that engenders tremendous love, affection and many opinions as to who makes it the best.

I don’t usually venture an opinion, as my husband Daniel is the hummous maven in our family, but I’ve been eating at one hummousia (local vernacular for yes, a restaurant that specializes in hummous) in Tel Aviv that specializes in organic hummous as well as some really tasty other dishes.

Aba Gil Organic Hummous is owned by, yes, Gil Maoz, a lover of all things health-related, and therapeutic. He opened Aba Gil at 55 Yehuda HaLevi Street three years ago, and is pretty sure that he’s the only organic hummous joint in Tel Aviv, Israel and possibly the world. They’ve already expanded beyond hummous to soups, organic juices, couscous and vegetables during the winter, and some tasty fresh salads. But what remains most important to Gil is that the hummous — which draws organic food lovers, hummous afficianados and locals working in the nearby financial district — is made fresh every day, without any preservatives, lemon salt, baking soda soup powder or any of the other additives that often make it into hummous.

“It’s not just by chance that we opened here,” says Gil. “I wanted to have a place of business that would offer lunch, giving good, whole food at good prices. That’s what works for me and my customers.”

Consider stopping by, and tucking into a warm bowl of Gil’s thick, smooth hummous, scooped up with fresh, whole wheat pita. It’s something of a departure from the typical hummousiya, but not really. And it tastes divine.

Tags: , , , • Category: Food, General, History and Culture 

Comments

6 Comments on Hummous me

  1. Dan on Mon, Jul 21st 2008 1:28 PM

    2. The Hummous in ‘Don’t Mess With the Zohan’ looks quite disgusting. It’s brown and chunky and doesn’t look too appetizing. Tsabar missed a huge oppurtunity with Zohan, they could have paid for product placement for their Hummous in the movie. Many Americans have never tried Hummous but would rush to do so after it being featured in a Sandler movie.

  2. Jared on Mon, Jul 21st 2008 3:38 PM

    3. There is an organic houmoussiya in NYC called Nanoush, on Broadway in the 60s. It’s no Abu Hassan, but its decent…

  3. David-Joe on Tue, Jul 22nd 2008 1:30 AM

    4. It was also Yassir Arafat’s favorite food.

    Do not underestimate the intelligence of the nation that supplies Israel’s welfare cheque every year……

  4. Harry on Tue, Jul 22nd 2008 7:30 AM

    5. I saw an interview with Sandler where he said he actually doesn’t like hummous at all so his hummous was actually yogurt.

  5. Jessica on Tue, Jul 22nd 2008 3:09 PM

    6. now that’s funny. and i’m sure it wasn’t labane.

  6. Sol on Wed, Jul 23rd 2008 7:35 AM

    7. When you see Debbie today ask her about the hummas I used to buy at Machane Yehuda..now that was good hummas!

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