The Middle East, a region known for rarely reaching consensus on anything, couldn’t agree on one more thing: Who owns hummus as their “national dish”? Is it Egypt’s? Lebanon’s? Israel’s? Syria’s? Iran’s? Ask any of them, and the answer will be: “It’s ours.” Hummus, which means chickpea in Arabic, is one of Antakya’s beloved staples—served sometimes at breakfast, sometimes at lunch, and sometimes at drinking tables. We took a journey through the history and current-day presence of it, a dish eaten at any hour of the day. Ayhan Yoğurtçu, who carries on the family tradition as a third-generation hummus maker, emphasized that the key to good hummus lies in peeling the chickpeas and using high-quality ingredients prepared using traditional methods.
Hummus is the most delightful union of chickpeas and tahini. It can be made with olive oil, butter, pine nuts, or even with eggs. It’s often said that among Middle Eastern dishes, it is the one most loved by Europeans. Many stories surround this food in the Arab world, where the word simply means chickpea. You could call it a flavor that no one wants to share.
In Antakya, a city with culinary ties to both Syrian and Lebanese traditions, hummus is widely consumed. Knowledge of how to prepare it and fava beans—passed down from father to son—is considered a kind of lifelong skill. As locals from Antakya, Tarsus, and İskenderun compete over who makes the tastiest version, hummus “wars” have broken out across the Middle East for years.
The Middle East’s Hummus Wars
There’s no definitive answer as to where hummus was first made. Chickpeas were first cultivated in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. They were one of the first crops grown in Mesopotamia. Ancient recipes even include versions of hummus. The core question that sparks all the conflict is this: Whose national food is it? Egypt’s? Lebanon’s? Greece’s? Syria’s? Iran’s? No matter who you ask, rest assured their answer will be: “It’s ours.”
Lebanon is especially assertive in claiming this great delicacy as a national dish. At one point, the country even filed an international legal complaint against Israel for trying to claim it. Israel, in turn, points to the Torah to justify that it’s one of their traditional foods. So much so that in 2009, Israeli chefs made a giant hummus to prove it and secured a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. As Israelis celebrated, furious Lebanese chefs rolled up their sleeves and launched their own challenge under the slogan: “The biggest hummus is our hummus.” In 2010, 300 chefs prepared a whopping 11.5-ton batch of hummus, beating Israel’s record.
From Syria to Antakya
In Antakya, hummus appears on the table as a breakfast dish, a meze beside kebab, or just a midday snack. Kemal Görgülü, who worked as a chef in Arab countries for many years and now makes hummus and fava beans in Antakya, believes hummus comes from Lebanese cuisine. “In Arab cuisine, this is eaten at breakfast, lunch, or as a meze. I think it came to Antakya from Syrian cuisine. Lebanese, Syrian, and Antakya cuisines are very similar. It’s not common in other parts of Turkey, but it’s popular here. Hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, oil, and lemon. It can also be served with pastrami, eggs, potatoes, greens, chili flakes, or butter.”
A 100-Year Old Hummus Maker
Ayhan Yoğurtçu runs one of the oldest and most well-known hummus shops in Antakya, a family business that’s been around for 100 years. His grandfather opened the shop in İskenderun in the 1920s, making him Turkey’s first vendor. His father took over afterward, and now Ayhan and his siblings carry the tradition into its third generation. Yoğurtçu, who left his mechanical engineering studies in Germany to pursue the family trade, says he thoroughly enjoys the work. “This is an Arab dish. Its origins are still a mystery—could be Palestine, Beirut, or Syria, but definitely not Turkey. It’s consumed at every meal. It’s a breakfast item, a main course, or a perfect appetizer with alcohol. It’s also rich in protein and very nutritious.” He stresses that making delicious recipe requires quality ingredients, peeling the chickpeas, and crushing them using traditional methods.
