Sunday, January 10, 2010

Hummus War Expands: Team Of Jewish And Arab Israeli Chefs Demolish Previous Lebanese Guinness Record

Last October we wrote about a two-ton dish of hummus prepared by Lebanese chefs that captured the Guinness Book of World Records title of biggest hummus dish from the previous record holder, Israel.

This week, a team of Jewish and Arab Israeli chefs, working at the Hummus Restaurant in Abu Ghosh, a suburb of Jerusalem, trounced the previous record by creating a dish twice as big as the Lebanese dish.

Weighing in at over four tons -- the same as four average family cars -- the ingredients of this monster dip include 2.5 tons of chickpeas, 1.5 of techina (sesame paste), hundreds of freshly squeezed lemons, and a vat of crushed garlic.

There was so much hummus that the only "bowl" able to hold the ocean of dip was a satellite dish six meters in diameter, provided by a local telecommunications company.

A Guinness representative was on hand to present an official certificate to Jawdat Ibrahim, proprietor of Mis'adat Abu Gosh, his popular hummus restaurant in the town.

Ibrahim, a proud Israeli and proud son of Abu Gosh, has devoted his life and is investing his considerable fortune in the prospect of Jewish-Arab coexistence in Israel.  He became a millionaire by winning the Illinois State Lottery when he was living in the United States.

Abu Gosh is an Israeli Circassian town located 10 kilometers west of Jerusalem on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway, 610-720 meters above sea level. Abu Gosh is named for a Circassian clan that imposed a toll on pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. The village of Suba was controlled by the Abu Gosh family. Its inhabitants are known for their friendly relations with their Jewish neighbors. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the residents of Abu Gosh maintained a neutral stance and did not participate in the fighting.

Here's a Jerusalem Post video interviewing observers and patrons of the restaurant in Abu Gosh.


Photos by AP and Xinhua/Yin Bogu

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