Hummus

Hummus is chickpeas blended smooth with tahini, lemon and garlic. Its full name, hummus bi tahini, means "chickpeas with tahini" — hummus is simply the Arabic word for chickpea. It is one of the foundations of the Levantine table, and it's honest to say no single country owns it: hummus is claimed as a national dish across Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and the wider Levant alike, and versions of blended chickpea have been eaten in the region for far longer than any of today's borders have existed.

What it actually is

Chickpeas are cooked until genuinely soft — often with a little bicarbonate of soda to help them break down — then blended with tahini (sesame paste), lemon juice, garlic and salt. Some kitchens add iced water while blending to make the texture lighter and paler.

It is spread into a shallow bowl with a well pressed into the middle, which is filled with good olive oil and finished with paprika or sumac, parsley and a few whole chickpeas.

How it's served

• Warm or at room temperature in the Levant — not straight from the fridge.
• With flatbread, scooped rather than cut, as part of a mezze spread.
• In its variants: musabbaha, with the chickpeas left whole, or topped with spiced minced meat or fried pine nuts.

Writing it on a menu

• Say whether it arrives warm or cold, and what topping it comes with — these are what distinguish one kitchen's hummus from another's.
• Flag sesame: tahini makes it an allergen that must be declared in the EU, and guests do not always expect it.
• It is vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free in itself — worth stating clearly, since the bread beside it is not.