Hummus

No article on Lebanese food would be complete without hummus, one of the most popular dishes in the country. It's a Middle Eastern dip made with mashed cooked chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice. It's typically served with pita bread and a variety of garnishes such as olive oil, whole chickpeas, olives, chopped tomatoes, sumac, or parsley.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern staple that is eaten for breakfast, as mezze, or as an accompaniment to other dishes such as falafel, kibbeh, or tabbouleh. It has gained popularity in many other parts of the world and is frequently the first dish that comes to mind when people think of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Surprisingly, Lebanon and Israel have been competing to produce the world's largest serving of hummus. Both countries regard hummus as a vital symbol of their national identity, so winning the title establishes some measure of ownership over the dish in their eyes.

Lebanon currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest serving of hummus, weighing in at 10,452 kg (23,042 lbs 12 oz). It took approximately 300 cooks eight tons of chickpeas, two tons of tahini, two tons of lemon juice, and 70 kilograms (150 pound) of olive oil to make. It was served on a 7.17-meter-diameter (23.5-foot-diameter) ceramic plate.