Some of you love the stuff, some of you may never have tried the stuff, and heck, some of you might even detest it, but start talking about hummus with most Israelis and watch their eyes light up. And if you think you’re ready for an opinion about the best place to eat hummus, be prepared to receive a ready-made list of hole-in-the-wall restaurants…
So yes, Israelis love their hummus. As do their neighbors, the Lebanese, who claim the original concept and ingredients behind hummus and are constantly attempting, some might say a little too hysterically, to grab the ownership deeds to hummus, typically via an attempt to create the biggest ever plate of hummus. Mine’s bigger than yours is a concept well-used in the Middle East…
The Lebanese did in fact grab the record for the biggest plate of hummus back in October (as well as the lesser known record for the world’s windiest stinkiest longest line for the toilets), but tomorrow (January 8th) sees Israel make a move in the battle for hummus glory.
Owners of one of Israel’s most loved hummus restaurants, the Abu Gosh restaurant located in the Israeli Arab town of Abu Gosh (10km west of Jerusalem), will be attempting to smash the Lebanese record with a quite humongous plate of hummus, with the target of four tons of hummus almost twice the size of the Lebanese record breaker.
Expect a carnival atmosphere in Abu Gosh, as some of Israel’s top chefs will also be on hand to help out with their hummus spoons at the ready, while government ministers and ambassadors will also be present to give the event a nationalistic fervor. Or perhaps they’re only there for the free plate of hummus that will inevitably be handed out once the record is set…
Personally, I think this record breaking sequence is going in the wrong direction, especially in these difficult economic times. How about this for a great idea – the smallest ever plate of hummus!