When I was at school, the only way could eat houmous was either by going to Greece on holiday, or visiting a Greek restaurant; especially the riotous Greek tavernas on Charlotte Street.
We invariably ordered a full meze. But why did we keep repeating the same mistake? By the time the kleftiko arrived we were completely stuffed. I believe the cause of this recurring pattern of over-eating was the starters: houmous, tzatziki, taramasalata and endless stacks of hot pitta breads. All delicious and very moreish… too moreish.
Times have changed. Now commonplace, it’s difficult to imagine the fascination and intrigue we once held for these exotic purees.
But why make houmous? It is not very expensive to buy, it comes in conveniently sized tubs, and always has a very satisfying taste.
The reason is because everybody should make houmous at least once – just to understand how food works.
NB: When it comes to houmous; the supermarket scientists in their laboratories have a lot to answer for: it is impossible to recreate the exact texture and taste of the store bought houmous at home. This is a fact – do not even try to break the code – it won’t happen. Indeed, the manufactured paste is so different from the authentic version that it might almost be another product. But please do not let this put you off. Whatever the manufactures tempt us with – homemade will always be best.