Hummus

Hummus is the king of Syrian cuisine. Many countries are convinced that they are the inventors of this dip. And I don’t want to debate this point too much, but I will say that I’m from Homs, and, coincidentally, hummus is spelled exactly the same way in Arabic: homs. So, who knows? Let’s call it an international food. I’m happy as long as everyone enjoys it.

Two types of hummus are common in Syria: one with tahini and one with olive oil. Hummus with olive oil is somewhat coarser in texture and not quite as creamy as the tahini hummus. You can definitely taste the olive oil, so use the best one you can find. Both types of hummus can be served with toppings. My favourite toppings are small cubes of lamb fried in olive oil, pine nuts toasted in olive oil, and fried bits of merguez sausage that you can make by removing the meat from the casing.