 |
|
|
|
 Rick Morris was surprised to find such a selection of hummus at his local grocery store.
February 16th, 2012
01:49 PM ET
One Appalachian's guide to hummusEditor's Note: Rick Morris is a web developer and volunteer firefighter from Canton, North Carolina. He is one of seven CNN viewers selected to be a part of the Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge program. Each athlete receives all the tools necessary to train for and compete in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon this September, alongside Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The seven athletes met up two weeks ago in Atlanta for the official kickoff of the program, where Rick developed a new taste for hummus.
Until recently, I can honestly say that I had never heard of hummus. In fact, I was somewhat taken aback when it was placed in front of me at a recent restaurant gathering. It evolved something like this... “Want some hummus, Rick?” they asked. “What's hummus?" I inquired. Atlanta's crowded Flying Biscuit restaurant went near silent for a moment that day, my friends. A myriad of eyes in disbelief angled my direction. I'm pretty sure the winds outside got angry and old-man winter was preparing a cold blast of disdain to lash at me the moment I walked out the door. It clearly didn't appear to have tomato in it (I can't stand tomatoes), and hey, I was pretty hungry so I grabbed a triangle of pita bread, spread a generous amount of hummus on it, and sent it down the hatch. What happened next was comparable to a high-speed ride on the autobahn in an Italian sports car! My first kiss! Winning the lottery! Skydiving! Releasing the rope swing and plunging into the clear, cold water of the mighty Pigeon River on a hot summer's day... Well, maybe not as exciting as all that. But, clearly I had found a new food that was truly like a party in my mouth. It was delicious. Better yet, I've since learned it is very healthy. Amazing! Something that tastes great and is good for you. For someone whose Sunday dinners generally consisted of fried chicken, corn-field beans, smashed taters (if you must ask, you need to visit my area) and sweet iced tea, I had written-off ever discovering new foods satisfying both requirements. As a member of this year's CNN Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge, I was already in the market for good nutrition. So I decided to delve deeper into this hummus thing. I wanted to know exactly where it comes from, what it consists of, and how I could make my own. My research into the wonderful world of hummus began online. Not to be confused with “humus," an organic matter or compost, I discovered hummus is a Middle Eastern bean dip made from a few basic ingredients: cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans, olive oil, tahini (ground sesame seeds), lemon juice, salt, and garlic. For someone who prides himself in whipping up the best tzatziki around – a recipe given by a Greek friend while in Europe – I'm now fully confident I can create hummus. Just gotta see if my local grocery store has chickpeas. The origin of hummus comes from “himmas” or chickpeas, leading to the Arabic “hummus," then the Turkish word “humus," and finally settling in the West back in the Arabic style of “hummus." As I said earlier, hummus is spelled the way we Americans see it so as not to be confused with the aforementioned English term for dead dirt. Did you get all that? Now that I know what it is made of, I checked out the nutritional information on hummus. Rich in vitamin C and iron, hummus also provides high amounts of vitamin B6 and folate. There is plenty of protein and dietary fiber courtesy of the chickpeas. The tahini (again, ground sesame seeds) contains a healthy amino acid. And, depending on the oil used, you get a nice portion of monounsaturated fats, which improve cholesterol levels – both LDL and HDL. So... how to eat hummus? Apparently, it can be pasted to just about anything – bread, crackers or celery, for example. My initial dish came with feta cheese sprinkled on top. Mmmmmm! I like hummus so much that I think I'll just spoon it until I have more time to ponder the varying recipes and uses. In the West, hummus is typically served cold as an appetizer or dip, and transported to drooling taste buds via a piece of pita or flat bread. In the Mediterranean, you'll almost always see hummus served with a small assortment of dishes precluding the regular meal. That's called a “meze." Fish, eggplant, chicken, and just about any lunch or dinner menu is complimented with hummus. Palestinians and Israelis typically serve it warm, with bread before, during or after any meal. Exotic spices such as cumin, paprika, parsley, excellent olive oil, and mint leaves often garnish hummus in Palestine. I asked a number of my “kin folk” and local residents here in the Canton area and discovered few had even heard of hummus. A couple of them were well versed, but most had no idea what it is. Evidently, we rural, small-town people are the last to know when it comes to international cuisine. Thankfully, this eases my feelings of embarrassment from my initial encounter with hummus. However, it bothers me that so many of us are missing out! Unlike Middle Eastern countries that battle each other for the world's largest hummus dish, Americans are just beginning to discover its succulent taste and various uses. Lebanon, by the way, holds the current record, at 23,000 pounds - set one day in 2010! I've learned that Americans only recently began consuming hummus, with about 15 million eating it regularly by 2008. If my math serves me correctly, that means about 300 million of us were not partial to this simple, delicious dish.Probably because we had never tried it. But, the popularity of hummus has skyrocketed over the past four years and it's safe to assume that about ten percent of Americans now partake in its consumption weekly. Maybe I'll start a chain of hummus-oriented restaurants, introducing this wonder food to all of America. At the very least, a town hall focus group. From what I've discovered, hummus is a miracle food. I can't find anything negative about it. It tastes great, can be fabricated quickly and inexpensively, and contains plenty of nutrient rich ingredients. My endeavor to uncover the mysteries of hummus has me feeling like I just completed a ninth-grade research paper. But that's perfectly fine with me. I've learned enough to confidently rescue the next lay person who asks, “What's that?” In fact, I'll take any moment of culinary humiliation in exchange for the opportunity to discover a delicious new food. In contrast, plenty of visitors to my neck of the woods have frowned at the site of squirrel dumplings. But for those who try them, they are usually hooked. Well, some are just being social. I mean, it is prudent to show appreciation when a moon-shining, outhouse-using, up-the-holler-living Appalachian tosses their finest culture at you, right? Back to that restaurant in Atlanta... as my glorious moment of hummus introduction came to its climax, our waiter was busy inquiring about our libation for the meal. “I'll have a Pepsi,” I requested. Strike two! “Don't you know this is the Coca-Cola capital of the world?” she asked, as the ground settled to a minor rumble. “The Coke Museum is just a few blocks away!” another proclaimed. “Coke please,” I declared. “And, another platter of that hummus stuff!” P.S. – If you have a good hummus recipe, comment about it below.
Next entry »Norovirus found on Washington college campus
« Previous entryMars puts Snickers bars on a diet
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
Hummus. The very word, for those like me, not in the know, sounded like a foreign term for something gross. Globular pustules on a teenager's face. A backwoods verb for singing under one's breath (“hummus a song, Cooter”). Perhaps a brand of automobile.
Aw, this was an exceptionally nice post. Spending some time and actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I procrastinate a lot and don't manage to get anything done.
http://template-demo.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com/school-bus-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
http://content.ighome.com/Redirect.aspx?url=https://ocrvcenter.com/international-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
/
A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you should publish more on this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but generally folks don't discuss these topics. To the next! Best wishes!!
http://oldtmt.vedomosti.ru/rss/toolbars/closeAd.php?backUrl=http://ocrv.info/rv-repair-shop-whittier-california
Have you ever heard of second life (sl for short). It is essentially a online game where you can do anything you want. Second life is literally my second life (pun intended lol). If you want to see more you can see these sl websites and blogs
http://rescattered.blogspot.com/2008/10/
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful article. Thank you for supplying these details.
https://www.c-o-k.ru/goto_url.php?id=559&url=https://ocrvcenter.com/medical-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me
https://www.fens.org/EPiServerMail/Public/CheckLink.aspx?url=http://karlog.gr/k2-categories/item/206-welcome%5Dshorter?start=262950
I needed to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of it. I have you saved as a favorite to look at new things you post…
http://www.info-az.net/search/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=675&url=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-shades-repair-near-me
http://www.lighthousemovies.com/cgi-bin/at3/out.cgi?id=1250&tag=toplist&trade=http://affordableranking.com
https://www.domainsherpa.com/share.php?site=https://galeriedialogue.com/hommage-a-balzac-alechinsky/comment-page-27/
Wow this blog is very nice!
https://www.okeyewears.com/why-do-you-have-to-have-a-hvac-fix/
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday. It's always helpful to read articles from other authors and practice a little something from other websites.
/
Commenting on a blog is an art. Good comments create relations. You're doing great work. Keep it up.
https://www.storeboard.com/blogs/general/timing-is-essential-for-air-ailment-fix/4826419
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am encountering issues with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I cannot join it. Is there anybody else having the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
http://www.hdrezkaru.ru/on.php?url=http://affordableranking.com
Hi there! This blog post could not be written much better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a great read. Thank you for sharing!
https://www.t10.org/cgi-bin/s_t10r.cgi?First=1&PrevURL=https://ocrv.org/rv-repair-shop-lake-view-terrace-california
https://www.shop-bell.com/out.php?id=kibocase&category=ladies&url=http://firefightersworldwide.com/2013/12/dc-social-media/
You're so cool! I do not believe I have read through anything like this before. So great to find somebody with a few genuine thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that's needed on the web, someone with a bit of originality!
http://www.mugen.matrix.jp/cgi-bin/gate/rank.cgi?mode=link&id=97&url=https://guenterreiter.eu/index.php?option=com_phocaguestbook&view=phocaguestbook&id=1&Itemid=4&limitstart=64520
I seriously love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you make this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m hoping to create my own site and would like to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Many thanks!
http://keyscan.cn.edu/AuroraWeb/Account/SwitchView?returnUrl=http://trimsarl.com/component/k2/item/156-lipsum-loror-di/156-lipsum-loror-di?start=636730
http://ref.webhostinghub.com/scripts/click.php?ref_id=nichol54&desturl=http://forkliftswildwestlifttrucks.com/brea-forklifts
May I just say what a relief to discover somebody that truly knows what they're discussing online. You actually know how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people must check this out and understand this side of the story. I can't believe you're not more popular because you most certainly have the gift.
https://rosreestr.gov.ru/bitrix/redirect.php?event1=&event2=&event3=&goto=https://meticulousjess.com
That is a very good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very accurate info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
https://360black.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://affordableranking.com
You made some good points there. I looked on the internet to learn more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site.
http://www.rosgelios.ru/bitrix/rk.php?goto=http://www.affordableranking.com
http://rapidfilms.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=http://affordableranking.com
I truly love your blog.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you build this site yourself? Please reply back as Iím looking to create my own site and would love to find out where you got this from or just what the theme is called. Thanks!
https://horsesmouth.com/LinkTrack.aspx?u=https://internetmarketingnevada.com/
http://nahuregion5.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.affordableranking.com
https://forum.phun.org/proxy.php?link=https://affordableranking.com/
This blog was... how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something that helped me. Many thanks!
https://sportsinsights.actionnetwork.com/affiliatewiz/aw.aspx?B=53&A=188&Task=Click&TargetURL=https://affordableranking.com
Hello there! This blog post couldn’t be written much better! Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept preaching about this. I will forward this post to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
http://www.gettyimages.ru/Home/ChangeCulture?languageCode=ru&returnUrl=https://affordableranking.com
Hi, I do believe this is a great web site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I'm going to return yet again since i have book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
/
/
This is a topic which is near to my heart... Thank you! Where are your contact details though?
/
https://store.law.com/linkredirector/default.asp?lrcat=BLOGNetwork&lrurl=https://ocrv.world/rv-repair-shop-rancho-palos-verdes-california
Excellent article! We will be linking to this particularly great article on our website. Keep up the great writing.
http://azlan.techdata.com/InTouch/GUIBnrT3/BnrTrackerPublic.aspx?CountryCode=18&BannerLangCulture=nl-nl&URL=https://fleetautorepairshop.com/ram-luxury-van-repair-shop-near-me&Target=2&BannerId=41919&Zoneid=281&Parameters=&cos=Azlan
I quite like looking through a post that can make people think. Also, many thanks for allowing for me to comment!
http://www.interempresas.net/estadisticas/r.asp?idsector=129&e=221083&c=195&d=https://ocrvcenter.mobi/rv-repair-shop-vista-california
I was able to find good information from your articles.
https://www.morhipo.com/shared/partnercookie?k=gort&url=https://theocrv.com/rv-interior-remodel-near-me
I seriously love your blog.. Pleasant colors & theme. Did you develop this website yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own personal site and would love to learn where you got this from or just what the theme is named. Thanks!
https://www.bioguiden.se/redirect.aspx?url=https://ocrv.guru/rv-repair-shop-gardena-california
http://www.loome.net/demo.php?url=https://incomewolf.com/
This page really has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
&_ltra=dab4d1d3b7718c2c9e91a686f3ff7361.ltra.1613.12
https://www.adultwork.com/SetReferrerCookie.asp?SelUserID=602668&ReferringURL=&TargetURL=https://ocrvcenter.co/motorhome-alignment-repair-near-me
The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn't fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I really thought you would have something helpful to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you can fix if you weren't too busy searching for attention.
https://track.aftermarket.pl/track.php?ref=&url=https://ocrvcenter.co/rv-repair-shop-woodland-hills-california
I truly love your website.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m looking to create my own website and would like to learn where you got this from or what the theme is named. Kudos!
https://press.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/Mailing_Redirect.aspx?mailingid=37014&email=tomwebb@me.com&checkid=3ce553ad-a4c8-4cff-8157-9d296087b89f&redirect=https://ocrvshop.com/rv-frame-repair-near-me
Whats a good website to start a blog on (a free one), and how would i do that?.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmkowalsky/
Have you ever heard of second life (sl for short). It is essentially a video game where you can do anything you want. SL is literally my second life (pun intended lol). If you would like to see more you can see these sl authors and blogs
http://myvedana.blogspot.com/2006/02/always-somebody.html?m=0
Good article! We are linking to this great content on our site. Keep up the good writing.
/
/
I want to to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely loved every bit of it. I have got you book marked to look at new things you post…
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/AdRedirector.aspx?BannerId=744&target=https://kogumahome.com/hokkori-blog/2018/12/24/20181224/
http://cs.condenastdigital.com/to/?h1=to,cntelligence,2014-10-27,cta_pdf,Bain:GlobalLuxuryMarketShowsSteadyGrowth&url=https://ingenieurleistungenreiter.com/index.php?option=com_phocaguestbook&view=phocaguestbook&id=1&Itemid=4&t=1340&limitstart=65060
Have you ever heard of second life (sl for short). It is basically a game where you can do anything you want. Second life is literally my second life (pun intended lol). If you would like to see more you can see these Second Life articles and blogs
http://myvedana.blogspot.com/2004/09/?m=0
Pretty! This has been a really wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying these details.
http://www.marcellusmatters.psu.edu/?URL=fleetservicerepairshop.com/truck-windshield-replacement-shop-near-me
http://www.irwebcast.com/cgi-local/report/redirect.cgi?url=http://sprintervanrepairshop.com/ford-transit-conversion-shop-near-me/