The title of this lavish gift volume on hummus is rendered in Arabic, English and Hebrew. The book tours cities in the Middle East, exploring how they use chickpeas, not just in hummus but also in falafel, stews and other dishes, and even fashioned in gold as a prize embedded in a holiday treat like the bean you might find in a king cake for Epiphany. Different renditions of hummus, appealing preparations like a chicken and chickpea casserole and Yemeni spiced falafel, and a history of the chickpea are strewn throughout as the book explores the hummus route, with contributions from writers like Claudia Roden.

“Hummus: On the Hummus Route, A Journey Between Cities, People and Dreams” by Ariel Rosenthal, Orly Peli-Bronshtein and Dan Alexander (Magica, $72.95).

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