Your hummus or mine?

On my first flight into the Middle East I sitting next to a young Israeli man who was recommending a variety of sights and things to do. When our food arrived, an individual tub of hummus was served on each tray. He turned to me and said "Israel makes the best hummus, you need to try real and fresh hummus."

Pause.

Chew.

Pause.

Holy crap, is Hummus a Jewish food? Israel, hummus, Israel, hummus, no- it doesn't ring a bell. Is there something that I've been getting wrong at all of these Arab restaurants I've been going to? Is Hummus the "General Tsao's Chicken" of China? The food that everyone thinks is Chinese?

This was my introduction to the Middle East. A place where confusion, contradiction, ownership and claiming becomes increasingly murky the more you learn. This is not the kind of place where you read an article to clarify your understanding, but instead to delve deeper into the crevices and a thousand year old labyrinth of two peoples.

Hummus is now claimed by Palestinians, Israelis, College kids in the States, the Lebanese, your average Sunday picnics, and Egypt among millions of others.

In the following- I'll spread my hummus, my very own experiences all the way from the locked land of the Gaza Strip.