HUMMUS

Hummus is not just a food to those who live throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean - it is a way of life.

This book is about the culture of several cities throughout the Middle East, their histories, folklores and people. It is also about the chickpea, one of the world's most ancient raw materials.

ON THE HUMMUS ROUTE is no ordinary cookbook. The story of the chickpea is the story of all eastern Mediterranean peoples, from the tables of kings and sultans to the tables of peasants, from secret alleyways in age-old marketplaces to the food stalls of bustling streets and hushed high-end restaurants. The "Hummus Route," an imaginary path envisioned by the authors connects people and places across the hummus capitals of the Middle East, from Cairo all the way up to Damascus, by way of Gaza, Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Nazareth, Jerusalem, Acre and Beirut. In a region rife with conflict, there is one thing everyone has in common: HUMMUS.

Dan Alexander is an international award-winning designer. Orly Peli-Bronshtein is a culinary expert, chef, and chief gastronomic editor for Israel's leading magazine Al HaShulchan. Ariel Rosenthal is a renowned chef who runs the most famous falafel street food restaurant in Tel Aviv, HaKosem, a culinary landmark and hotspot frequented by international celebrities and Michelin-star chefs.

Ariel, Orly, Dan and an array of renowned contributors have brought their expertise to the page in this beautiful book, which is full of diverse recipes for hummus, falafel, pita, soups and stews from each of the hummus capitals of the Middle East, stunning photographs of the food and the people who make and eat it, and in-depth articles about the culture surrounding the eternal chickpea.