Mideast Crisis Unfolds: Shortage of Chickpeas Drives Up Hummus Cost

Experts are blaming the weather for the extreme damage chickpea crops have suffered. But for Middle Eastern countries, the chickpea shortage causes a shortage of hummus which spells domestic disaster. Perhaps surprising to many who see hummus as the Middle East’s most positive calling card, 95% of the chickpeas that make up Lebanon’s hummus are grown in Mexico, according to the Beirut Daily Star. Canada, Turkey and India are also sources of chickpeas, the produce of each nation decidedly different to aficionados. According to the paper, May will be the telling month when the imported chickpeas are due to arrive in Lebanon and the severity of the situation will become apparent.