Hummus: A Global History

Description

This is a global history of hummus bi-tahina, the delicious combination of chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic that we know and love as hummus. The story begins in the medieval kitchens of the near and middle east and ends with its rise in popularity in the western world at the end of the twentieth century. This book also addresses the international controversy over ownership of the dish, and illustrates the extent to which hummus has been embraced by western food culture today. Though other Mediterranean dishes have become popular in the West, none can be compared to hummus, which can be found in any supermarket and in vast numbers of eating establishments. Hummus has become a global phenomenon, and our very favourite dip.

Harriet Nussbaum has written widely on food culture in the ancient world. She lives in Bristol.

"The book explores the history of the popular pulse, the huge impact it has had on eating habits around the world, and the passion that it produces politically. Nussbaum, a writer who specializes in food culture of the ancient world, brings the Levantine origins of hummus to life with details that provide context for this humble dish. . . . For anyone interested in food history in the region, this book is a very good place to start."--Ivy Lerner-Frank "Digestible Bits and Bites" "A must-read for anyone interested in food culture. Readers will find Nussbaum's little book on hummus to be a delicious treasure trove of facts and figures."-- "New York Journal of Books" "This is a truly fascinating book--a real whirlwind tour through centuries of history, culture, and politics. There is so much about hummus I never realized I didn't know! I've eaten some of the best hummus of my life in Israel, in Palestine, and in Lebanon, and this book really has given me a fresh insight into the many-layered history behind this simple bowl of chickpea and tahini dip."--Felicity Spector, journalist, Great Taste Award judge "Hummus: A Global History would make an attractive gift for the hummus-lover in your life. To paraphrase the author, the next best thing to eating hummus is reading about it, and there is plenty to satisfy the reader here."-- "OxVeg News"