Dining and Cooking
Delicious Medieval Hummus
In Appetizers and Dips

Delicious Medieval Hummus

This is one of the oldest recorded hummus recipes from the Middle Ages. Welcome back to Eats History. Today I’m going to cook and rate some Himus Casa. One of the earliest recorded hummus recipes from medieval Egypt. Hummus for me is one of those dishes that kind of just has a timeless feel to it. It’s been enjoyed in the Middle East and Levant for thousands of years, but by the 14th century, its preparations began to be recorded in Egypt. A cookbook survives from this era called The Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table, an anonymous Egyptian cookbook for the elite. Among the recipes is Himmus Casa, an early form of our modern hummus. According to the cookbook and other sources, Himmuscasa would have been served before the meal, sort of like a medieval appetizer. What makes some of these hummus varieties we find in the cookbook is its blend of flavors. Unlike the smooth puree we’re accustomed to today, Hibas Casa calls for chickpeas combined with tahini loosened with wine vinegar. You add to the dish a walnut paste, blend it with lemon juice, and a little more vinegar. And then you add some fresh herbs, parsley, and mint to cut through the brightness. And then you add your spices like carowway, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and a bit of salt to give it that exotic warmth famous for Arabic cooking. Garnished with some olives and their oil with a bit of pistachios, the result is a rustic but delicious variation of our modern hummus. 8.8 an 8 out of 10 and follow for more historical cooking.

25 Comments

  1. @SallyAlexandriaAlexParakeets

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  5. @ShaneLadd-fw4cr

    Dude, you need to watch a video of how they do it on the streets of any Arab city. It is timless and IS the authentic way. It IS a puree but not pureed. Hummus is thousands and thousands of years old. You just need a bigger pestle to get that smooth creamy texture

  12. @donq2957

    You have to put more water in it. You can always add more nuts or peanut butter to make it firm or out in the fridge. Raw beans are not good.

  13. @gyromurphy

    If you have thr time, do NOT use canned chickpeas. I mean… you can, but using dried chickeas which you hydrate yourself makes all the difference. The texture is far better. Also, depending on how ambitious you're feeling, making you're own tahini from freshly roasted sesame seeds will also make your hummus stand out. Oh, you can also use black beans instead of chickpeas. I actually prefer black bean over chickpea hummus.