Lebanon One-Ups Israel With Record-Breaking Hummus Plate     

300 Lebanese chefs convened this weekend to challenge Israel's claim to hummus once and for all by preparing a record-breaking, two-ton plate of the region's favorite dish. They succeeded, in a sense, as Guinness Book of World Records officials awarded the chefs the prize for cooking the largest single serving of hummus at Beirut fair on Saturday. The food has long been a point of tension between Israel and Lebanon, both of whom claim the dip as their own. Last year, Lebanese industrialists began taking measures to register the food as Lebanese in order to sue Israel for copyright violation and force them to stop producing it. While proceedings are still underway, the group has resorted to less orthodox approaches in the meantime. Next Sunday, organizers say, they will attempt a new record by producing the largest single serving of tabbouleh.

Read original story in Haaretz | Monday, Oct. 26, 2009