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Traditional Cypriot Cuisine
Hummus (Arabic: حُمُّص 'hoummos (help·info); Armenian translit: hamos; Greek:
Χούμους; Hebrew: חומוס; also spelt as houmous (standard in UK), hommus, or humus) is a dip made of chickpea
paste with various additions, such as olive oil, fresh garlic, lemon juice, paprika, and tahini (sesame seed
paste). It is popular throughout the Middle East, including in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, the Palestinian
territories, Syria, Turkey, and in Armenia, Cyprus and Greece, though the hummus eaten in Greece, for example,
is quite different from the hummus eaten in the Arab world and in Israel.
In Arabic, "Hummus" means simply chickpea. The dish described in this article is called "Hummus wa Tahina", i.e.
chickpea and sesame, or "musabbaha".
It is traditionally scooped up with flatbread (pieces of pita) to be eaten, but it is increasingly popular as a
dip for tortilla chips in non-Middle Eastern countries. It is a popular breakfast food, especially when combined
with another dip named ful (pronounced /fuːl/), which is based on crushed fava beans. It is also used as an
appetizer dish to accompany main courses, and as part of a mezze.
Hummus is relatively cheap to make with either dried or canned chickpeas. Dried chickpeas must be soaked in
water overnight then simmered for an hour or more. The cooked or canned chickpeas are ground, using a food
processor or hand blender, with olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini. A bit of the water in which the chickpeas
were boiled may be added to reach the desired consistency. Garlic, salt, parsley, onions, cumin, and/or chili
powder may be added. Peanut butter is occasionally substituted for tahini by Americans, but the taste of that
mixture is quite different from traditional Middle-Eastern and European hummus.
It is a nutritious food, containing a large amount of protein, dietary fiber, monounsaturated fat, and iron, and
is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It is often garnished with mushrooms, parsley, paprika, pine nuts,
tomatoes, cucumber, thinly-sliced onions, or more chickpeas, and then drizzled with olive oil before serving.
Saganaki (Greek σαγανάκι) is a cheese-based Greek appetizer. The original Greek version is typically fried. The
cheese is typically made from sheep milk, of the Kefalograviera or Kasseri varieties. Delicious regional
variations include the use of Formaella cheese in Arachova and Halloumi cheese in Cyprus.
In the United States, saganaki is presented differently. After being fried, the cheese is usually covered with
Brandy extract, and set aflame at the table when served (typically with a shout of "Opa"). The cheese is then
extinguished with the juice of a fresh-squeezed lemon, and sometimes served with pita bread. The invention of
the "Flaming Saganaki" is usually attributed to Chicago restaurateur Chris Liakouras.
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