Having done some preliminary research on the origins of , I still can’t come up with a definitive answer. Egypt? Syria? Who knows? What I do know is that it’s the best answer to every homemaker’s dilemma – what to serve when there’s no time to spare, the family is hungry, and there’s nothing much in the fridge except eggs – which you had yesterday. It’s also a great meal out – cheap, quick, and filling.
My husband and I had decided that we both needed a hummus fix and were invited to taste the offerings at Humus Shel Atar, run by its very charming new manager, Aviv Schlesinger. It’s situated in the Piano outdoor shopping mall in Netanya, which also has a well-stocked supermarket we have sometimes patronized. Aviv explained that his hummus is ultra-fresh as it is ground and prepared for serving upon ordering.
This is very good news as you know the hummus has not been sitting around for hours, acting as an improvised petri dish. The entire menu is listed on the inside wall of the eatery in Hebrew only, but Aviv and his assistants speak perfect English so choosing your dish should not be a problem. We sat outside the small restaurant, enjoying the balmy night air and watching the world go by, and our order quickly arrived.
We chose two of many variations on straight hummus dishes – a hummus with (NIS 46) and another with mushrooms. (NIS 43). We found the hummus very much to our liking, with good fresh taste, not over-spiced, and a smooth texture that was ju.
