Lebanon breaks Guinness hummus record

October 25, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Lebanese chefs broke the Guinness record for the world's largest plate of hummus.

Some 250 chefs and chefs in training created the dish Saturday using 2,976 pounds of chickpeas and 13,525 ounces of lemon juice, according to the French news agency AFP. The final dish weighed in at more than 2 tons. Other ingredients in humms include sesame paste, garlic, salt and olive oil.

The previous record was held by an Israeli food production company.

The chefs were expected to attempt to break the record for the largest plate of tabbouleh, a dish made of parsley and bulgur, on Sunday evening.

"El Hommos Lebnaneh (Hummus is Lebanese) is an attempt to break the current Guinness world records of hummus and tabbouleh, reaffirming the Lebanese proprietorship of these two dishes," said a statement issued before the event.

Lebanon claims ownership of hummus, a traditional Middle Eastern dish, and accuses Israel of stealing the product and marketing it as Israeli, according to the Associated Press. Its exact origin is unknown, though presumed to be Arab.

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