I love food, so it is hard to think of just one favourite sort. However, if I had to choose, I can think of something that I like to have as a special treat from time to time. I’m going to tell you what the food is, how it is made, why I like it so much and explain to you what makes it my favourite food and maybe even convince you that you would like it just as much as well – if you haven’t already discovered it for yourself.
The food is quite simple. I’ve always thought of it as a Greek speciality, although others tell me it actually originates from Egypt. Can you guess what it is? Houmous. I love it. The food is spelt differently in American English – they call it hummus and in British English, we spell it with an ‘o’ and a ‘u’ as opposed to just the ‘u’ but the recipe is the same in either case.
Basically, it is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is popular throughout the Middle East (including Turkey), North Africa (including Morocco), and in Middle Eastern cuisine around the globe, but it is also extremely popular with me, although I’m very particular about the sort I buy. I live near a wonderful delicatessen, it is run by a friendly couple, he is Italian and she is vintage Yorkshire. They make their own houmous with only the finest quality virgin olive oil and huge quantities of the best fresh garlic they can get hold of. It’s pretty expensive, but I love it, and it’s better than my own attempts for some reason, I don’t know why it shouldn’t be so hard to make.
Why do I like it? I think it is partly the texture, and partly the taste, I love garlic. Also, because I’m vegetarian it is a very healthy food, with lots of protein and quality fats that are good for you. Of course, you can have too much of a good thing, but I think it’s well worth it.
It is my favourite food not only because it is absolutely delicious, but also because you can share it with other people. It is best eaten as a dip, with friends. I cut up lots of carrots, cucumber and celery into crudités carefully sliced to make a colourful dish, perhaps with some slices of warm pitta bread too. A nice bottle of white wine helps. We can then all sit together enjoying the fresh humous dip, sipping our glasses of wine and laughing and talking to put the world to rights. It is a great way to enjoy a fabulous food.
