Msabbaha

Msabbaha is hummus in a looser, grainier state. The difference is not flavour but texture: where hummus mashes the chickpeas, here they stay whole and sit in tahini and olive oil. The name comes from that — the root means to swim, and the chickpeas swim in the plate. Paula Wolfert describes the dish as deconstructed hummus.

The Damascus record

The Syrian writer Zafir al-Qasimi wrote in his Dictionary of Damascene Industries, published in 1960, that the hummus shops of Damascus sold msabbaha alongside hummus with tahini and fatteh. He gives the recipe too: mashed chickpeas with tahini, whole chickpeas over them, and clarified butter and pine nuts on top, with another version finished with oil instead.

What goes in

The chickpeas are boiled in their own water with a little cumin, then tahini, lemon juice and crushed garlic go in. Parsley and olive oil finish it. Some tables add a boiled egg. A version common in Damascus uses melted butter, pomegranate or lemon juice, and pistachios or toasted pine nuts.

Where to eat it

In the hummus and ful shops, in the morning. The plate comes with fresh bread and is eaten with bread rather than a spoon. Saying msabbaha when you order hummus means asking for a separate plate; ordering the two side by side is the easiest way to see the difference.