Hummus, What's Old is New!

Hummus with Date Syrup and Sesame Seed Topping

This was my first thought a few years back as I watched mainstream chefs and cooking programs “discover” Hummus. As a child of a Syrian family, Hummus B’ Tahina has been my go-to snack, sandwich filling and appetizer dip all my life.

I’ve watched Chefs write cookbooks with their versions of this healthy Chickpea and ground sesame seed dip, while touting how unique and delicious their innovations would be for this Middle Eastern staple. It always made me smile, as if I had a secret, once kept, now told to the rest of the world.

The amusing part of all this is that I’ve also come to see Hummus as that amazing blank canvas for any number of delicious alternatives, like using it to spread over a pita round, as a beginning and not an end to an intriguing new way to enjoy it.  After all, many ethnic delis use any number of spreads as the basis for their creations. In fact, in a previous blog post, I talked about my grandmother’s way of adding her homemade Hashweh to a slather of Hummus on Syrian bread.

But, on this post, I want to get back to basics. Our homemade version of Hummus (the best way to eat it) is always wonderful with a new way to top it.  Here’s my take on adding a bit of sweetness to this nutty dip. Add a few spoonfuls of Date Syrup, either using the recipes in the cookbook or purchased. Then a sprinkle of sesame seeds will do wonders to re-create an already-loved appetizer. Delicious!

Sahtein!