Hummus

Cicer arietinum (chickpea base) · Legume

40 pairings

Hummus is a smooth, savoury Levantine dip and spread of cooked chickpeas pureed with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Creamy and dense, it tastes nutty and rich from the sesame, bright and tart from the lemon, and gently pungent from raw garlic, with the chickpea giving it body and a mild earthiness. Traditionally scooped up with warm flatbread, it is now eaten worldwide as a dip, sandwich spread and snack. Nutritionally it stands out among dips: it carries real plant protein and fibre from the chickpea and unsaturated fat from the tahini and oil, rather than the sugar or saturated dairy fat of many spreads.

Picking a good onedrag

Just made, bright and garlickySour, weeping, fizzing

Shop tubThe sealed tub inside its date, cold the whole way home. Dip, spread, or loosen with lemon and cold water. Tahini means it always carries sesame, a major labelled allergen.Everyday best

Tub, seal and dateInside its date, seal unbroken, tub cold in the hand

The surfaceStill pale and smooth, a thin dry skin at the rim

Stir a spoonfulThick but even, comes back smooth with a stir

Smell in the tubNutty sesame first, garlic and lemon gone quieter

What to look for, from just made, bright and garlicky to sour, weeping, fizzing.

What one gives you

100%

Usable yield

no refuse · all edible, a finished dip spooned as sold

Preparing