Hummus is the chickpea-and-sesame dip widely served across the Levant.
Traditional hummus is made from cooked and mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, a paste of ground sesame seeds. Lemon juice, garlic, salt, and olive oil commonly provide acidity, seasoning, and richness. It is usually served as a dip or spread with flatbread and may be garnished with olive oil, whole chickpeas, paprika, or herbs.
The Arabic word hummus means “chickpeas.” The dish is particularly associated with Levantine cuisines, including those of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan, and it is now eaten throughout the Mediterranean and beyond.
Hummus is sometimes confused with baba ghanoush, which is based on roasted eggplant, or muhammara, which is based on red peppers and walnuts. Chickpeas and tahini together are the defining foundation of classic hummus.