Paying unusual homage to the dip, we envision the losses we would endure and the alternatives we would seek should hummus cease to existItтАЩs an ancient food. A dip that dates back thousands of years. A basic blend of everyday ingredients. And yet the current popularity of hummus тАУ that age-old mix of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil тАУ is nothing short of staggering. From traditional mezze plates to the more on-trend grazing platters, supermarket shelves to high-end menus, hummus is, quite simply, everywhere.
But how would the snacking landscape look if our favourite Middle Eastern dip had never come to be or ceased to exist overnight? Yes, thatтАЩs right. On International Hummus Day, weтАЩre asking the big questions, considering the unthinkable and pondering a life without hummus.Like a bolshy older sibling, hummus has long put other mezze in the corner. While the likes of muhammara, moutabel and baba ghanoush are well known and loved across the Arab world, theyтАЩve never quite reached the same level of international acclaim. Take hummus out of the equation, though, and one has to wonder if any of these dishes would be propelled into the culinary limelight in quite the same way.
LetтАЩs not forget that part of the appeal of hummus is its yielding, uncomplicated, customisable nature: easy to make, reassuring to eat ┬н(beetroot version withstanding). Hummus isnтАЩt bland per se, but thereтАЩs something about its pliable nature that could just be key to the appeal.Smoky baba ghanoush with its complex charred notes, punchy flavours and interesting textures might be an altogether more sophisticated appetiser, but does it appeal so universally to adults and ┬нweaning babies alike? We think not. ItтАЩs a similar story with heavy-on-the-tahini moutabel. This is a dish that delights aubergine lovers, but leaves others resolutely unconvinced. What then of the assertively flavoured muhammara? A vibrant blend of toasted walnuts, Aleppo pepper paste, pomegranate molasses and breadcrumbs combines to produce a tangy-tart result that will always be more divisive than good old hummus.
Like vintage LeviтАЩs or an ┬нoriginal pair of Converse ┬нsneakers, thereтАЩs something about the simplicity of hummus that not only works, but endures. And in a parallel world bereft of said dip, weтАЩre just not convinced that thereтАЩs another mezze quite suited to filling those large, universally loved shoes.
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