How is it that four simple ingredients—garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic—combine to create something greater than its parts? We’re talking, of course, about hummus, which gets its own holiday May 13. International Hummus Day celebrates this luscious spread that people of diverse cultures have loved for centuries. According to National Today, a website devoted to compiling and explaining holidays, the earliest version of a hummus-type dish was recorded in Cairo in the thirteenth century. The Turks, Lebanese, Israelis, Iraqis, Greeks, Syrians, and others all view it as a staple dish. The website reports that International Hummus Day began in 2012, the brainchild of entrepreneur Ben Lang, who hoped to unite the world—especially the Middle East—through a food beloved by so many.
Fans of the storied bean dip will find several savory versions around Naples.
Michael Mir, chef/owner of Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro opened his original restaurant in the Pavilion Shopping Center some 27 years ago. He thinks he may have been the first in the area to serve hummus, even incorporating it into his promotions with ads proudly proclaiming, “Hummus, for what ails you.”
“What is better than garbanzo beans?” Mir asks. “Olive oil and garlic are so good for you. And some tahini for flavor. It’s simple. Just four ingredients.” It’s healthy, delicious—and portable. Mir recommends hummus as a handy staple to carry with some pita bread in case of emergencies because it remains edible for extended periods. Add some dried dates and drinking water for a survival kit fit for just about anywhere, he says. In his Fifth Avenue South restaurant, Mir serves the creamy traditional version topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, and cucumbers.
Ivo Milanoski from Macedonia and Yavuz “Oz” Ozturk from Turkey co-own Simit Fresh Mediterranean and surely qualify as aficionados simply from a lifetime of eating hummus. They serve it three ways: traditional; with roasted beets pureed into the spread; and baked with aged Bulgarian kashkaval cheese served with fresh-baked Turkish bubble bread. “The color [of the beetroot hummus] is phenomenal, and the beet adds an extra layer of freshness, a bit of acidity with a little sweetness,” Milanoski says. A pinch of sumac also lends a red hue and a bit more acidity. “The baked hummus is probably our best-selling appetizer,” Milanoski says. “Who doesn’t like fresh-baked bread with warm hummus? I don’t know anyone else in this area who does it that way.”
Mediterrano offers a well-executed traditional hummus with grilled pita wedges and an optional side of assorted vegetables. On a nice evening, a table on the lushly landscaped patio pairs splendidly with the spread. Nicely chilled white wine wouldn’t hurt either.
At Kareem’s Lebanese Kitchen, owner/executive chef Rachid Eido uses a family recipe his grandfather made daily in Beirut, which was then further refined by his father, who was a chef. Now Eido serves three versions: traditional; spicy, with homemade harissa and Aleppo peppers; and with fresh and roasted garlic.
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