The earliest known hummus-like mention came from a cookbook associated with Aleppo.
The cookbook is Kitab al-Wuslah ila al-Habib, a 13th-century Syrian culinary manuscript traditionally attributed to the Aleppine historian Ibn al-Adim. Its surviving recipes include a chickpea preparation related to hummus, making Aleppo the expected answer in this historical context.
The wording should not be read as proof that hummus was invented in one city. Food historians note that the evidence is incomplete and that chickpeas, sesame, lemon, and oil were used throughout Egypt and the Levant. The manuscript’s authorship and exact compilation history are also debated.
Medieval hummus-like recipes were not always the same as today’s smooth dip. Some early versions lacked garlic, while later recipes from Cairo combined chickpeas with tahini, vinegar, herbs, spices, or nuts. Aleppo identifies the setting of the earliest cited Syrian record, not an uncontested birthplace.