Humus in the city - Ashkara & a great humus blog

Hummus is simple and complex. A dish that can be prepared with as little as 3 ingredients, made for as little as pennies (or agorot here in Tel Aviv) yet be as delicious as anything you can imagine. Traditionally it is mostly made of chickpeas and thina (sesame seed sauce). Usually the chickpeas are ground to a fine paste, sometimes with a few small chunks. Then blended with thina, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and parsley. The secret to a specific taste is the 'other' spices like cumin, peppers (white or black), salt and sometimes other middle eastern spices. Hummus is found in most of the Arab countries and some European countries (Turkey and Greece). The specific recipes from different countries was carried with the Jewish immigration to Israel. Today you will find hummus restaurants from the humble to the chic. There are lots of resources to find humus information on the web, but a local favorite in Tel Aviv is The Hummus Blog. Apparently, 'abbu shooki' the blog writer is somewhat of a hummus fanatic. Tales of his 20 thina comparison study have been told until the wee hours of the morning among hummus lovers and blogger alike. ENJOY!       Amiv
Hummus with all the trimmings, from Ynet.co.il article
      At number 45 Yermiyahu street in Tel Aviv you will find one of the best fast food 'in the city', Ashkara Hummus. Ruthie has run this hummus joint for over twenty years. This is a must place to sample according to sam-d-man. So this his tale is of the place, and here is how it goes.... :

        First you will find outside seating. Walk through to the exposed kitchen. All the food is homemade and first rate. The menu is very limited. It's hummus anyway you want it.
        The hummus will be prepared to your instructions. In a pita or in a bowl with onions, Israeli salad, chikpeas, spicy hot souce, thina sauce or a hard boiled egg. Bowl servings come with delicious soft pita on the side to scoop up the hummus. You can also ask for olives, pickles and pickled cabbage salad. The In the winter Ruthie serves soup de-jour. Ashkara is a clean and kosher restaurant and the servings are huge in comparison to any place in Tel Aviv. It is also open 24 hours a day 5 1/2 days a week (closed Friday afternoons and Satrudays until end of shabbat. It is also considered a 'nice' place to eat hummus, not that the other places are 'not 'nice' ~ but hey, this is the 'nice' part of town and hummus is the people's food after all.

        After you give the cook your order you may either enter the small dining room or find a seat outside. You will be served your food with a soft drink or a beer. They also offer all you can drink tea with na'ana, this is also a traditional drink which goes great with a hot plate of hummus in the winter. Cold tea with na'ana is also great on a hot summer day. It's usually drank with lots of sugar. This is a perfect place to come for a quick bite in the middle of the day. The location is also great on a fall day, sit and watch the parade of people floating by. Yermiyahu street has turned into one of the "must be seen" fashion spots. If you are a visitor, ask a local to take you and show you the fine art of scooping hummus, it's truly a middle-eastern tradition not to be missed. -- So, if you want to enjoy hummus at one of the best places in north Tel Aviv, got to Ruthie's on 45 Yermiyahu Street. You wont be disappointed.

              Enjoy, sam-d-man

Comments

ernestmaitim said…
I just love hummus, especially with pickled cucumber. I also love my shawarma with lots of hummus, and tahina too! Great post!
tam said…
mmmm humus :)
nothing like a big humus plate
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