Becoming a Hummus Connoisseur

Hummus plays a large role in the Israeli diet. Wherever you may find yourself eating something, from a picnic at the beach, an end-of-year party or a conference in a smart hotel - there you are sure to find a plate of hummus.

There are even restaurants in Israel that ONLY serve hummus and no other kind of food. These restaurants, known as a "hummusia" in Hebrew are very popular and Israelis often argue about which hummusia serves the best hummus. Some people like their hummus with cooked fava beans and/ or boiled chickpea kernels, others insist on a boiled egg in their plate (not me!) and others just want a sprinkling of paprika and a dash of  olive oil.

Which ever way you like to eat it, hummus is very healthy, very filling and a great vegetarian dish. It is made out mashed chickpeas (garbanzo beans), olive oil and seasoning.

A good plate of hummus MUST be accompanied by a few decent pitot (plural for pita bread). One eats the hummus by breaking of a piece of the pita bread, wiping it in the hummus and then popping it in your mouth.Yummm.... heaven!

And for those of you how thinks it  sounds a bit messy - yes, you are right! That is why one is supplied with A LOT of napkins.

I have read in the newspaper that there are a group of "expert hummus eaters" who calls themselves the Hummus Circle. The members of the Hummus Circle travel around the country (probably in their free time) and rate the various hummus restaurants. Sort of like a Hummus Michelin! I think they keep the results to themselves though because I have never seen any leaflet or anything called "The 10 best Hummusiot in Israel".

I may not belong to the Hummus Circle and will probably not travel all around Israel to visit the various hummusiot ( plural for hummusia) but have lived for a while now in Israel and I know a decent hummus when I see...er..taste it.

And today I had the luck to eat a decent hummus, a VERY decent hummus as a matter of fact. A friend who works in Yokneam (in the northern part of Israel) has been telling us for a while now about the virtues of Eliyahu's Hummus. So today my family and I went there for lunch (because it is just too hot to cook) and we were pleasantly surprised.

This was good hummus! I am sure that the Hummus Circle would give it a rating of 10 out of 10. Or 9 out of 10 if they are a nit-picking crowd. The hummus was great, the pita bread was great, my salad was great, the lemonade was very good and the ambiance was wonderful!

The hummusia itself if not very big, so the table are arranged in rows and you just have to squeeze in where there is an open space. Eliyahu is a Braslev Hasid  and the restaurant have some Jewish prayer books prominently displayed,  is decorated with a mandala or two, a painting of camels, some Na Namanan  stickers and also these words that I have translated from Hebrew:

" The place is small,
but our heart is big
Eat your fill,
but think of your friends,
so yalla...."

Yalla is Hebrew for "move it along/ don't take your time/ forwards". Yes, he is that popular! Eliyahu makes such good hummus that he can tell his customers not to linger!

Yokneam has a large industrial park with many hi-tech offices and it looks as if Eliyahu's Hummus is very popular with the hi-tech crowd (judging my fellow table mates). If you ever want to go and eat there, I suggest you go before or after the lunch time rush.

So to tell you where in Yokneam you can find Eliyahu's Hummus?

Of course I will! It is right behind the Paz gas station on the main road through Yokneam. The place do not look very promising from the outside, but just step inside....and you will walk out a hummus connoisseur!

Haveil Havalim Edition 367

"Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity." Kohelet 1 (Ecclesiates) 

I have the honor again to host Haveil Havalim - a carnival of Jewish and Israeli blogs.The Haveil Havalim blog carnival was founded by Soccer Dad and every week a different blogger takes a turn to host a weekly collection of blog posts.

The name "Haveil Havalim" means "Vanity of the Vanities" and is taken from the book Ecclesiates in the Tanach (the Jewish Bible). If you blog about Israel or Jewish-related subjects, please feel free to join the Haveil Havalim Facebook group or go and have a look at the Haveil Havalim website.

Batya Medad at Shiloh Musings says why she thinks the university center in Ariel should be named the Ariel University. And in Me-ander she thinks about her aunt's funeral in New York while she is at a memorial service in Israel in Being Two Places at Once.

Susan Esther Barnes at the Jewish Journal.com posts about not being afraid of death at Afraid of Death? Join a Chevra Kadisha. A Chevra Kadisha is a Jewish burial organization.

In The Real Jerusalem Streets you can read and see some cool photos of Jerusalem and the various reasons why traffic in this ancient city sometimes comes to a halt in the blog post Warning: Traffic Ahead.

The 7th prime minister of Israel, Itzak Shamir passed away last week and the public could pay their respects at the Knesset building. Photos and comments on the ceremony can be seen at Yitzhak Shamir, 1915-2012.

Still in Jerusalem, Miriam's Words posts about Yerushalayim ours FOREVER!

A Soldier's Mother wrote about the Turkish intelligence and the Syrian intelligence.

It is summer time now in Israel and the temperatures are rising! Is it just me or is everybody just being a bit more irritating than usual? :) I give a few tips on How to Survive the Israeli Summer and  at Esser Agaroth you can read about the Top 15 Ways to Act Like an Am Haaretz! (riff-raff).

And that is a wrap! I hope you enjoy reading this week's Haveil Havalim's collection of blog posts.

Marina Shemesh

How to Survive the Israeli Summer

Well, maybe survive is too strong a word... one does not survive the Israeli summer heat. It is more like you barely manage to grasp on to life while your eyeballs are being melted to the back of skull.

You are constantly tired because it is too hot to sleep and your children are cranky because they are all hot and bothered. And if you DARE put a bare foot on an Israeli beach - then it is, well then it is like an instant barbecue!  

Eating large ice creams will definitely help you to survive the Israeli summer.

Okay, I exaggerate. But only a little bit. It is HOT in Israel in the summer and everybody is more irritable than unusual. And yes, Israelis can be more irritable than unusual :)
So, if you are thinking of coming to visit Israel in the summer months (or already live in Israel) here are a few tips on how to survive the Israeli summer.

1. Buy the largest, most expensive air conditioner that you can afford. Switch it on and do NOT leave the house! If you are a tourist, check first that the air conditioner in your room works. Then, you can worry about the view and have a look what is in the mini-bar. And really do think twice about going on any sightseeing trip! 

2. Eat as much ice cream as you can. Luckily this is every easy to do because the Israeli ice creams are excellent and there are a huge variety. The fruit ice-lollies (popsicles) here in Israel  are really delicious and should definitely be on your "Things to try" list.

3. Wear a hat. Yeah I know you do not want to look dorky (or like an American tourist!). But if you do insist on leaving the house/ hotel room, a hat will prevent the relentless sun rays from frying you brain.

4. ALWAYS take water with you. Okay, time to get serious now...dehydration is no joke. Buy yourself a large bottle of water and constantly drink from it. The tap water in Israeli is fine to drink so when your bottle is empty, fill it up again and continue drinking water. Remember that by the time you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. (Just a sec, just need to go and drink a glass of water..)

5. Bring/buy a pair of sunglasses. You will be amazed at how blindingly the sun is reflected from the old stone buildings.

6. Stay out of midday sun. Many shops,banks and other places of business are closed between 2 -4pm and believe me - this is a very good thing. So go to your room/ house, close the shutters and rest a bit. This is NOT the right time of day to go to the beach.

7. Take life easy! Remember that the heat makes every one a bit more difficult than usual. Just give everyone (yourself included) a break, drink a cool drink, take a shower and rest a bit until the worst of the midday heat has passed.

Enjoy the summer!