Bad luck on your part then, it is more flavorful at room temperature.
But it’s tasty cold, too. Just not as tasty.
This, and “serve at room temperature” are two of the most crucial tips. Also, adding tahini is a must. As for flavouring (herbs, spices, seasoning, etc.) - that’s only limited by your imagination and good taste.
I have to agree. I don’t recall hummus being served refrigerator cold at most Mediterranean restaurants. I’ve never had it warm, either, but typically at room temperature. It may be slightly cooler, but my recollection is usually room temp. Perhaps slightly cool, but not refrigerator cold. When I make it, it’s always room temp.
I’ve had hummus that WAS at room temperature and its not nearly as good, to me.
Beer has more flavor when its served room temperature as well. Still prefer it cold.
For hummus, like many beers, I think “slightly chilled” or “cellar temperature” is the sweet spot for me. Not all beers–some I like quite cold (like “lawnmower lagers.”) It’s not like I have a super-sophisticated palate, but the subtleties of olive oil and garlic seem to be more noticeable at between fridge and room temps. If the hummus is heavy on the garlic (a minus for me–I like garlic, but hummus shouldn’t taste like garlic), then I prefer it on the colder side.
Coriander leaves (cilantro) and extra lemon make for really good hummus, in my opinion. It can get a bit green, though.
And it’s really not like peanut butter.
A sprinkling of sumac powder at the end is a nice garnish, too, if you can find it.
Where I live, hummus is as common as sugar packets on the table at many restaurants. And with as many restaurants serving it, the competition for the best is fierce. Babies know the good stuff from crap by their first birthday here. I eat it as a dip, a spread, a main dish, a side dish and a dessert. I chop up turkey and mix it with hummus, chili powder, olive oil and sea salt; I spread the concoction on rye toast. I’ve dolloped it on pizza, I’ve dipped steak into it, I’ve smothered chicken with it. I substitute it for mayo on burgers. I put it on grilled cheeses, BLTs, and hot dogs. I’ve shoveled it into my mouth with a big fucking spoon. I love it with roasted red peppers, I love it with extra garlic, I love it with spinach and artichoke, I love it with horseradish, but mostly I just love it plain. I love to dip warm fluffy footballs of pita bread into a smooth creamy plate of hummus where pine nuts are floating in a pool of extra virgin olive oil. I would eat it with a fox, I have eaten it in a box (don’t ask). Wallah, it is the food of angels. Every day I’m thankful that I live in Dearborn where the tahini flows like a fine sesame paste, and the garlic is as abundant as clover. I don’t even mind if you spell it “houmous” or “hommos.”
Now baba ghanouj? Vile, nasty stuff. Tastes like someone deuced in an ashtray and put it on a plate.
The last line especially this.
Oh and you forgot my favorite way of consuming hummus. Two fingers.
To me, room temperature hummus is like room temperature soda. Yeah, it makes it more flavorful–but it makes the additives more flavorful and you miss out on the actual chickpea taste, which is vital for good hummus. Just like room temperature soda makes the carbonic acid more flavorful and you miss out on the main flavor of the soda.
Maybe if the hummus is designed to be eaten cold, and thus less spiced, but that doesn’t describe any of the stuff I’ve found. And, anyways, I prefer to roll my own and I barely put anything in it.
Duplicate. See below.
It’s all in recipe. Go easy on the additives (especially garlic) and the chickpeas will be more flavorful than in refrigerator cold hummus. Not that there’s anything wrong if you prefer cold hummus, it’s just that your complaint can be (and should be) mitigated by the recipe you use. I mean, like I said, that’s typically how I get it at a Middle Eastern place–only slight chilled, at most.
I like to use it as a condiment, on sandwiches or hamburgers. mmm.
If it doesn’t have tahini, it isn’t hummus, is it?
What’s wallah?
I am not a big fan of tahini in and of itself, and got heartily sick of trying to mix it back together when it had sat in fridge separating for months. So now when I make hummus, I add a squirt of toasted sesame oil, which I do keep around regularly for salad dressings, stir fries and dipping sauces. Same nummy flavour, less chalky texture, no icky jar of separating tahini in the fridge, better hummus all around!
I tried sesame oil and peanut butter in a recent batch and it tasted fine to me. I tend to use tortilla chips as hummus-to-mouth delivery tools.
Woah, I love this idea. I always have sesame oil on hand and don’t want to buy something special for the rare occasion I get a wild hair and want to make hummus.
No. Please don’t.
Bwuah???
So I’m out on a date with my special guy. We regularly stick our tongues down eachother’s throats in private… and for some reason we’re not supposed to double dip into the hummus? Even if we’re the only 2 people there??? Makes no sense.
I’m against double dipping in any other situation you can imagine… but if it’s with someone you love who you regularly exchange bodily fluids with, there is absolutely no reason not to double dip.
I’m not sure I’m ready to muster that kind of emotional commitment over hummus. Would it be okay if we were just deeply in lust? And where does this fall on the relationship timeline ? 