Baba Ganoush

Baba ganoush is charred aubergine blended with tahini, lemon and garlic. It sits next to hummus on almost every Levantine table, and where hummus is about creaminess, this one is about smoke.

What it actually is

Whole aubergines are charred directly over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh inside collapses. That step is the dish. An aubergine roasted gently in an oven gives you the texture but not the smoke, and the difference is immediately obvious.

The soft flesh is scooped out and drained of its water, then mashed or blended with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt.

There is a naming nuance worth knowing. In much of the Levant, the version with tahini is called mutabbal, while baba ghanoush proper is a chunkier aubergine salad without it. Outside the region the two names have largely merged.

How it's served

• Spread in a shallow bowl, with a pool of olive oil in the middle.
• Topped with parsley, sumac or pomegranate seeds.
• With flatbread, scooped, as part of a mezze spread alongside hummus and falafel.
• Cool or at room temperature, never hot.

Writing it on a menu

• Say it is charred over flame. That is the difference between a good one and a bland one, and it justifies the price.
• Flag sesame: tahini makes this a declarable allergen in the EU, and guests do not always expect it in an aubergine dish.
• It is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free — one of the easiest strong vegan entries on a menu, worth labelling as such.
• If you make the tahini-free version, name it accordingly; guests who know the difference will notice.