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International Houmous Day

11th May 2021 | News Articles

International Houmous Day

Houmous has travelled a long way from its Middle Eastern roots – all around the globe in fact.

During this world tour it has picked up various flavours and spellings (we use houmous) and become so popular it now has its own special day – May 13th is officially International Hummus Day

Whilst the variations are endless, the base of any good houmous remains the chickpeas and sesame paste included in the first recorded recipe, found in an Egyptian cookbook written 800 years ago.

Traders and travellers brought the dish to the Mediterranean and it is the Greek inspired version, which includes lemon and garlic, that we favour at Zorba Foods as our basic houmous – with a wide variety of flavours and toppings available to reflect the exciting food trends of today.

Like houmous on pitta bread, word soon spread of this superfood, fueled by growing awareness of its nutritional benefits and an increasing interest in vegetarianism.

The growing popularity of package holidays to the Mediterranean gave many Brits their first taste of houmous…and they couldn’t get enough.
Zorba Foods began producing it in 1976 and it appeared in more and more supermarkets throughout the eighties.

Chefs around the world – including Jamie, Delia and Prue – picked up on the dish as the versatility of houmous was recognised.

It can be served for breakfast, lunch, and tea, as a dish on its own, as a dip or an accompaniment to meat, bread or vegetables.

With the rise and rise of plant-based eating, more people than ever before are turning to houmous.

Now some 14m metric tonnes of chickpeas are produced every year, nearly 10m in India with other major growers including Turkey, Ethiopia, Russia, Australia and Canada.

Houmous has truly conquered the world, so whether you raise a piece of pitta bread, a carrot stick or shish kebab – celebrate international hummus day in style.