Earlier this month, more than 50 Arab and Jewish Israeli chefs in Abu Ghosh, Israel came together and whipped up 8,992.5 pounds of hummus, breaking the Guinness World Record for the biggest serving of hummus previously set by Lebanon.
Lebanese chefs took the record from Israel in October 2009 with the hopes of reaffirming proprietorship over the Middle Eastern dip. Lebanese businessmen accuse Israel of stealing dishes such as hummus, falafel, and tabbouleh, and marketing them as Israeli. Indeed, in 2008, Lebanon announced it will sue Israel for “premeditated exportation” of their traditional recipes.
Beirut plans to beat the new record in the spring on its border with Israel so that “they can learn how to do hummus.” However, the people of Abu Ghosh see the battle as a possible means toward peace. Speaking of Lebanon, restaurant owner Jowdat Ibrahim told the Jerusalem Post, “Next time, we’ll do 10,000 kg together.”
