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Himmas Kassa -- The Oldest Hummus Recipe in the World

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The Himmas Kassa is the oldest written hummus recipe in existence, documented in Aleppo, Syria in 1250 CE by historian Ibn al-'Adeem. The base is identical to what you would make today, chickpeas pounded with tahini, lemon, garlic, and salt, because the core recipe has not changed in 773 years. What separates it from every modern version is the garnish. Sweet olive oil, chopped parsley, pistachios, Ceylon cinnamon, and crushed rose buds scattered across the top. It looks extraordinary and tastes better than anything in a grocery store tub. This is hummus the way it was meant to be served before centuries of simplification stripped away everything that made it remarkable.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour

Ingredients

The Base

  • 2 cups dried chickpeas soaked overnight in cold water (or 2 cans chickpeas, drained and warmed through)
  • Salt for cooking

The Paste

  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed to a paste
  • 1 teaspoon salt

The Garnish -- do not skip any of these

  • 4 tablespoons good quality olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley baqdunis, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons shelled pistachios roughly chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon -- not cassia use the sweet variety
  • 1 tablespoon dried culinary rose buds crushed

To Finish

  • A small handful of whole cooked chickpeas reserved for the top

Instructions

  • Cook the chickpeas. Drain the soaked chickpeas and cover with fresh cold water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cook 60 to 90 minutes until completely tender. They should crush between two fingers with zero resistance. Do not salt the water until the last 10 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid before draining. Set aside a handful of whole cooked chickpeas for the garnish. If using canned, drain and rinse, warm in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, reserve half a cup of the warming water.
  • Pound -- do not blend. Work the chickpeas while they are still hot. Use a large mortar and pestle or a heavy bowl and a potato masher. Pound firmly until a coarse thick paste forms. If you use a food processor, pulse in short bursts only. Never run it continuously. The manuscript is clear. Thick, not runny.
  • Build the paste. Add the tahini, lemon juice, crushed garlic, and salt to the pounded chickpeas. Work everything together firmly. Add reserved cooking liquid one tablespoon at a time only if the paste feels too stiff to spread. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.
  • Plate -- the exact 1250 CE method. Wide flat plate, not a bowl. Spread the hummus flat to the edges with a slight well in the center. Garnish in this order. Drizzle olive oil generously across the entire surface. Scatter the chopped parsley. Scatter the chopped pistachios. Dust lightly with Ceylon cinnamon. Crush the rose buds between your fingers and scatter them across the top. Arrange the reserved whole chickpeas across the surface. The manuscript notes the dish will look quite nice. It is correct.

Video

Notes

  • Ceylon cinnamon vs. cassia. Most grocery store cinnamon is cassia. It is stronger and slightly bitter. Ceylon is sweeter and more floral. It matters in this recipe. Find it at Whole Foods, Sprouts, or order online.
 
  • Rose buds. Persian or Middle Eastern grocery stores. Ask for ward in Arabic or gole mohammadi in Persian. Food grade only, not potpourri.
 
  • Serving. Best at room temperature. If made ahead, bring it out 30 minutes before serving and add the garnish fresh just before eating.
 
  • On pounding. The texture difference between pounded and blended hummus is real and significant. The extra ten minutes is worth it every time.