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Origins - The word hummus comes from the Arabic word meaning "chickpea."

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Ingredients - Hummus is a spread made by blending the following ingredients.

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Chickpeas - First cultivated almost 10,000 years ago, chickpeas are probably one of the oldest legumes ever grown by mankind.

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Tahini - Tahini is a paste made from crushing sesame seeds. The first mention of it can be found in Arabic cookbooks dating from the 13th century.

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Lemon juice - Lemons are thought to have originated from northwestern India, and to have reached the Middle East and Africa by about the 2nd century AD. The fruit only began to be grown in large quantities from the 10th century onwards.

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Garlic - Garlic is likely to have originated in Asia, and become a domesticated crop by the Neolithic period. It had spread to the Middle East and Africa by 3000 BC.

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Salt - Salt has been used for seasoning and preserving food, as well as for medicinal purposes, for thousands of years.

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Traditional dish - The traditional hummus dish is known as hummus bi tahini in Arabic. According to American food historian Charles Perry, it should traditionally be served with a well in the middle and the edges mounded high around the rim of the bowl, to prove that it has the right consistency: not too stiff, not too loose.

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Where does it come from? - It's unclear when the first hummus recipe emerged. Historian Ari Ariel points to the earliest mention of the spread as coming from cookbooks in Cairo in the 13th century, in a dish that combined pickled lemon, cold mashed chickpeas, vinegar, herbs, and spices, but no tahini or garlic.

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Holy hummus - Others think hummus is a much older Jewish dish that dates back to 3,500 years ago. A passage from the last section of the Bible reads "Come hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the hometz." Though "hometz" sounds like hummus, it actually means "vinegar" in modern Hebrew. But would dipping bread in vinegar really have been considered a gesture of welcome?

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Where does it come from? - It is also unclear where exactly hummus comes from. It is certainly a Middle Eastern food.

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Middle East - But which Middle Eastern country did it come from? Egyptians, Syrians, Turkish, Lebanese, and Israelis have all argued that the chickpea creation is theirs.

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The hummus wars - In 2008, Lebanon tried to sue Israel for breaking food-copyright laws, after it was realized that the dish was being marketed throughout the West as an Israeli product.

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The hummus wars - According to the BBC, Lebanon also asked the EU to recognize hummus as Lebanese. Both legal actions were unsuccessful.

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The hummus wars - A Guinness World Records struggle also unfolded, with Lebanon eventually producing the largest plate of hummus in the world, weighing 10,452 kg (23,043 lbs) in May 2010. Israel's attempt earlier that year (pictured) weighed just 4,000 kg (8,818 lbs).

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How to serve - It's not only the origins of hummus that have many different versions. There are also many different ways to serve it.

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Instagrammable grain - In fact, the range of beautiful ways to present this delectable dip are part of the reason it's become such millennial mega-food and an Instagram sensation.

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Pita bread - Hummus is typically served with warm flatbread, usually pita.

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With veg - Chopped vegetables, such as carrots, pepper, and celery, also make good accompaniments.

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Toppings - Hummus is often blended with other spices, such as cumin, and usually topped with olive oil and smoked paprika. Caramelized onions, pine nuts, chopped coriander, roasted red pepper, or roasted courgette are other equally aesthetically pleasing options.

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Roasted red pepper hummus - Roasted red pepper hummus is another popular spin off from the traditional recipe.

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Avocado hummus - From toast, lattes, and pasta, to soup, ice cream, and hummus, is there anything the magic green fruit can't do?

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Falafel - Hummus and falafel are both chickpea-based dishes that come from the Middle East, and, when combined with chopped salad and other sauces, they make an incredible wrap or pita filling.

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Nutritional? - The Huffington Post says that hummus can help reduce hunger cravings, increase your iron levels, and lower cholesterol. It is also a good source of protein and fiber.

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International Hummus Day - With so much love for hummus, it's unsurprising that the dish has its very own day of celebration. International Hummus Day has been in existence since 2012.

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International Hummus Day - In order to join in the hummus appreciation, Hummusday.com says all you have to do is eat the creamed chickpea dish on May 13.

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International Hummus Day -

You can also organize your own event, or join others, and if you have your own favorite hummus joint, make sure to add it to their growing global network.

See also: Healthy non-perishable food items to keep in stock

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