Hummus-ified

I am a new convert to hummus, this Middle Eastern mush which is as flavorful as can be. I never liked chickpeas, but this chickpea-based paste, I discovered, is a different thing. It took me almost three decades before I came to appreciate this stuff. Well, I was a notoriously picky eater when I was a child - never liked hotdogs, didn’t eat watermelons, hated radishes, and pushed aside any salad on the table.

But as I grew older, I came to like all those things and can pig out on them whenever. Many of the food I used to dislike have become my favorites now. Take for instance Japanese food, I swear I would never eat it, but now I am happy as the day is long in a Japanese restaurant. I can’t get enough of sushi! And there’s food I was uneasy and too naïve to try (Indian, Ethiopian, etc.) before, but I learned now that being bold and adventurous has its rewards.

I guess I was just too timid to try new flavors and tastes, and familiar, “safe” food are comfort to me. I was always on the safe side when I was young (like many carbonara-and-iced-tea adherents of my generation). Familiarity is delicious. I think when you grow older, you shed those inhibitions off and you’re more willing to risk your taste buds.

Some of the more exotic food are acquired taste. An occasion ago, you may not like something but the next thing you know, you find yourself digging into that dish. Right now, the hubby and I are totally hummus-ified. After several ho-hum previous encounters with it, one afternoon going home from work, we suddenly had a craving, so we got this tub of Zesty Garlic hummus from Whole Foods. And so we were happy.

So there’s hope for never-tried-before entrees to become your plat du jour. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll have the taste for paklay and lengua (hehehe). And there’s equal hope to my number one disliked vegetable- the squash. Maybe I’ll eat it. Who knows?!