The Joy of Toum: A Garlic Dip That’s Spreading Joy
LOS ANGELES —
The condiment shelf in my refrigerator is a chaotic place. I am no Marie Kondo, but I could argue that each jar, squeeze bottle, and tube sparks real joy. My bottle of Kewpie shares real estate with a 64-ounce jar of Best Foods. There are about eight bottles of chili crisp at any given time, plus Fly by Jing’s chili crisp vinaigrette. Fancy mustards are crowded with not-so-fancy mustards, and there’s a bottle of Son fish sauce because I read that it was one of author Andrea Nguyen’s favorites. The usual suspects of ketchup, barbecue sauce, and Frank’s Red Hot are all present.
The Rise of Toum
The most consistent category, beyond the chili crisps, is a growing collection of toum. The garlic dip has been a favorite since I first tried garlic sauce at Zankou Chicken in Hollywood more than 30 years ago. I can still remember the sharp bite of garlic, the slight tang, and the impossibly fluffy texture that seemed to disappear on my tongue.
Toum, like hummus, is the name used to refer to the ingredient and the dip. Toum means garlic in Arabic, and hummus is the word for chickpeas. Toum is a dip typically made with garlic, oil, salt, and lemon, processed or pummeled until it transforms into a smooth, white paste.
The Spread of Toum
Once confined to restaurants serving cuisines of the Levant, now you’ll find toum at Trader Joe’s, Costco, and the refrigerator section at your local Target. "For sure Zankou had a huge role in all the groceries and restaurants adding garlic sauce," says Vartkes Iskenderian, whose grandparents founded Zankou in 1962 with a tiny storefront in Lebanon. "How much of a role we’ll never know, but I know when we did it, nobody knew what toum was."
The Recipe
Each batch starts with cloves of garlic from Christopher Ranch in Gilroy. There are seven full-time team members who inspect each clove of garlic for blemishes, then trim or discard as needed. The facility goes through more than 400,000 pounds of garlic a year. Iskenderian is tight-lipped about the ingredients but says there are laughably few in the recipe. It’s all run through a food processor and transported in large tubs via refrigerated trucks to the various locations.
Conclusion
Toum is a year-round fixture at my house, but the quantity seems to triple during the holidays. It’s the condiment that enhances any meat or bowl of bland mashed potatoes on the table. For year’s, it’s been a part of Times restaurant critic Bill Addison’s Thanksgiving tradition. Each year, he and friends who are like family to him prepare a turkey in the style of shawarma djej (chicken).
FAQs
Q: What is toum?
A: Toum is a garlic dip typically made with garlic, oil, salt, and lemon, processed or pummeled until it transforms into a smooth, white paste.
Q: Where can I find toum?
A: You can find toum at Trader Joe’s, Costco, and the refrigerator section at your local Target.
Q: What is the secret to making good toum?
A: The secret to making good toum is using high-quality ingredients, such as garlic from Christopher Ranch in Gilroy, and processing the garlic until it transforms into a smooth, white paste.
Q: Can I make toum at home?
A: Yes, you can make toum at home by blending together garlic, oil, salt, and lemon juice. You can also add other ingredients, such as parsley or cilantro, to give it a unique flavor.
Q: Is toum healthy?
A: Toum is a relatively healthy condiment, as it is made with garlic, which has antibacterial and antiviral properties, and lemon juice, which is high in vitamin C. However, it is high in calories and fat, so it should be consumed in moderation.
